Seoul: South Korea's exports surged 49.4 percent from a year earlier in the first 20 days of this month, data showed Tuesday. Outbound shipments reached US$50.4 billion in the April 1-20 period, compared with $33.7 billion tallied over the same period last year.

According to Yonhap News Agency, imports increased 17.7 percent on-year to $39.9 billion during the period, resulting in a trade surplus of $10.4 billion. The data was sourced from the Korea Customs Service, highlighting a significant boost in South Korea's trade performance.