( LEAD ) S . Korea ' s exports rise 14 . 8 pct in first 20 days of May ( ATTN : ADDS details from para 2 ) SEJONG , May 21 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korea ' s exports rose 14 . 8 percent on - year during the first 20 days of May , thanks to brisk shipments of semiconductors and petrochemical goods , customs data showed Monday . The country ' s outbound shipments reached US $ 29 . 1 billion in the May 1 - 20 period , according to the data from the Korea Customs Service ( KCS ) . The customs office said that daily average exports , which reflect working days , grew 10 . 4 percent on - year to $ 2 . 24 billion compared to a year earlier . By product , outbound shipments of semiconductors surged 42 . 8 percent , with those of petrochemical goods rising 19 . 1 percent . However , exports of ships plunged 33 . 6 percent , the latest findings showed . This file photo shows a container being loaded onto a ship at a port in South Korea . ( Yonhap ) Outbound shipments to China , the United States and the European Union rose 25 . 1 percent , 14 percent and 33 . 1 percent on - year , respectively . Imports advanced 10 . 7 percent to $ 27 . 5 billion , resulting in a trade deficit of around $ 1 . 5 billion , the data showed . The country ' s exports retreated in April from a year earlier , marking the first dip in 18 months , largely due to a base effect . Asia ' s fourth - largest economy shipped out US $ 50 . 06 billion worth of goods last month , down from $ 50 . 84 billion a year ago , while imports rose 14 . 5 percent on - year to $ 43 . 45 billion . The government said earlier that last month ' s outbound shipments decreased compared with a year earlier as local shipyards exported offshore facilities worth a huge $ 5 . 45 billion in April 2017 . ( END )