South Korea April trade slump deepens

SEOUL: South Korean exports fell at a sharper pace in April as fewer working days ate into shipments already suffering from weak global demand and low global commodity prices, and the trade ministry said it was not optimistic about conditions in May.

Preliminary data showed April exports slid 11.2% from a year earlier, while imports dropped a faster 14.9%, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said. Both figures were worse than economists had expected.