SEOUL, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- South Korea posted a current account surplus for 21 straight years through 2018 thanks to an increased export of semiconductors, central bank data showed Friday.

Current account surplus, the broadest measure of cross-border trade, amounted to 76.41 billion U.S. dollars in 2018, up from 75.23 billion dollars in the previous year, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).

The country's current account balance stayed in the black since 1998 when the foreign exchange crisis hit the Asian economy.

Trade surplus in goods reached 111.87 billion dollars in 2018 as export, which accounts for about half of the export-driven economy, expanded 7.8 percent to reach a record high of 625.44 billion dollars.

The export expansion was attributable to strong demand for locally-made chips. Import gained 10 percent to 513.57 billion dollars on the increased global trade.

Services account balance, which measures the flow of travel, transport costs and royalties, posted a deficit of 29.74 billion dollars last year, the second-biggest yearly deficit in the services sector.

Primary income account, which includes monthly salary and investment income, was a surplus of 2.78 billion dollars in 2018. The dividend payment reached a new high of 22.36 billion dollars on a rise in corporate earnings. Enditem

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