South Korea posted a merchandise trade surplus of $6.32 billion in May, government data revealed on Monday.
That beat forecasts for a surplus of $6.2 billion, although it was down sharply from $$8.498 billion in April.
Exports were down 10.9 percent on year to $42.39 billion - missing expectations for a decline of 10.7 percent following the 8.0 percent contraction in the previous month.
Imports plummeted an annual 15.3 percent to $36.07 billion versus forecasts for a fall of 16.7 percent on year after shedding 17.8 percent in April.
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April 17, 2026 15:29 ET The ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to raise concerns for policymakers who worry about the impact of the supply shock and high energy prices on the real economy. Producer price data and various survey results on the housing market were the main news from the U.S. this week. In Europe, industrial production data for the euro area gained attention. GDP figures out of China and the policy move by the Singapore central bank were in focus in Asia.