SEOUL, March 1: South Korea maintained a double-digit increase in exports in February, fuelled by strong demand for semiconductors, petrochemicals and steel, official data showed on Thursday.

Exports rose 11.3 per cent year-on-year to $26.47 billion, while imports increased 7.5pc to $25.2 billion, according to the ministry of commerce, industry and energy.

The monthly trade surplus rose to $1.2 billion from $280 million a year earlier.

For the first two months of the year the trade surplus increased to $1.5 billion from $448 million in the same period of 2006.

In February alone, exports of semiconductors rose 19.6 per cent from a year earlier. Shipments of petrochemicals and steel products soared

26.6 per cent and 36.6pc, respectively.—AFP