Seoul  - South Korea's trade surplus, buoyed by a growth in exports, jumped to 5.43 billion dollars in June, up from 3.5 billion dollars in the previous month, the country's central bank said Wednesday.

The Bank of Korea said June's surplus, the fifth consecutive monthly surplus, was the second biggest since March, when the value of exports outstripped declining imports by 6.65 billion dollars.

For the first six months of the year, Asia's fourth-largest economy recorded a record surplus 21.7 billion dollars.

Exports to China, picking up again after being battered by the global downturn, were partly responsible for the surplus, the bank said.

"South Korean shipments of LCD [liquid crystal display] panels, electronics and steel are on the rise," said Lee Young Bok, head of the central bank's trade balance division.

The goods surplus rose from 4.88 billion dollars in May to 6.61 billion dollars in June, while the deficit in the services balance narrowed slightly to 1.45 billion dollars 1.47 billion dollars in May. (dpa)