South Korea current account surplus rises

South Korea's current account surplus increased in March from the previous month due to strong exports despite rising oil and other raw material prices, the central bank said Thursday. The account surplus, the broadest measure of trade with the rest of the world, was $1.43 billion last month compared to a revised $1.13 billion in February. The surplus in March 2010 stood at $1.20 billion. The account remained in the black for a 13th consecutive month, boosted by robust exports amid the global economic recovery. The goods account surplus rose considerably to $2.86 billion in March from a revised $1.53 billion in February. Exports in March rose 24.4 percent year-on-year to a record $47.8 billion and imports gained 27.6 percent to $45 billion, also a record.