South Korea logged a current account surplus for the 21st straight month in January, backed by solid exports and a rising trade surplus, central bank data showed Friday.
The country's current account surplus reached $2.94 billion in January, following a $12.37 billion surplus the previous month, according to the data compiled by the Bank of Korea.
The goods account logged a $2.5 billion surplus, marking the 22nd consecutive month of surplus.
The surplus came as exports advanced 9.1 percent on-year to $49.81 billion, while imports fell 6.2 percent to $47.31 billion in the month.
The services account, however, registered a $2.06 billion deficit due largely to rising demand for overseas travel, according to the central bank.
The primary income account, which tracks the wages of foreign workers, dividend payments from overseas and interest income, logged a $2.62 billion surplus in January, narrowing from the previous month's $4.76 billion surplus, the data showed.
In 2024, the country reported a current account surplus of $99.04 billion, marking a sharp increase from a surplus of $32.82 billion a year earlier, the BOK said. (Yonhap)
herald@heraldcorp.com
