[경제]Current account surplus for 9 consecutive months…overseas securities investment’the largest ever’

[앵커]

The overall current account remained surplus for 9 consecutive months due to strong exports in January of this year.

Investing in overseas securities by Koreans increased by nearly $11 billion thanks to the so-called’seohak ant’ craze, recording the largest increase in history.

Reporter Lee Jong-soo on the report.

[기자]

According to the Bank of Korea, in January this year, the current account amounted to 7 billion dollars, with a surplus of about 8,34.3 billion won.

It has been in the black for 9 months since May of last year.

In terms of the size of the surplus, it is $6.48 billion more than $580 million in January last year.

The commodity balance surplus was $5.73 billion, an increase of $3.66 billion from a year ago.

Exports were $46.6 billion, an increase of $3.88 billion by 9.1% from a year ago,

Income was $49.3 billion, which was similar to $40.71 billion a year ago.

[이성호 / 한국은행 금융통계부장 : 수출은 글로벌 교역 회복세가 이어지면서 승용차와 반도체 정보통신기기를 포함한 전기·전자제품의 호조로 전년 동월 대비 9.1% 늘어났습니다.]

In January, exports increased by 42.8% for passenger cars, 37.1% for information and communication devices, and 20.6% for semiconductors compared to a year ago, based on customs clearance.

The size of the service account deficit in January was $610 million, down by $2.38 billion from $2.99 ​​billion in January last year.

In particular, the deficit in the travel balance has shrunk by $860 million.

This is because the number of outbound travelers decreased by 97% due to the corona 19 effect.

In the case of securities investment, private investors who buy overseas stocks as the so-called Seohak ant fever continues.

In other words, Korean stocks and other foreign securities investments increased by $10.9 billion.

This is an all-time high on a monthly basis.

Foreign investors’ domestic securities investment increased by $2.3 billion.

YTN Jongsoo Lee[[email protected]]is.

[저작권자(c) YTN & YTN plus 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]