South Korea's exports jumped 33.2 percent on-year in the first 10 days of October led by strong global demand for semiconductors and vehicles, data showed Friday.Outbound shipments reached US$15.31 billion in the Oct. 1-10 period, compared with $11.49 billion tallied a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service.Per-day exports advanced 9 percent on-year to $2.78 billion.Exports have led South Korea's overall economic recovery since late last year after a yearlong downturn.In September, exports rose 7.5 percent on-year to US$58.7 billion, the 12th straight monthly gain, government data showed.Imports added 3.2 percent on-year to $17.48 billion during the first 10 days of this month, resulting in a trade deficit of $2.2 billion.Strong sales of semiconductors led the overall export growth.Chip exports surged 45.5 percent to $3.07 billion during the first 10 days of this month.Semiconductor exports accounted for 20 percent of the country's total exports during the cited pe riod, up 1.7 percentage points from a year earlier amid an industry cycle upturn.Auto exports climbed 28.9 percent to $1.39 billion and those of automotive parts increased 58.5 percent to $513 million.Sales of steel products soared 45.7 percent to $1.07 billion and ship sales spiked 256 percent to $902 million.But exports of petroleum products tumbled 23.6 percent to $1.13 billion.By nation, shipments to China rose 22.9 percent to $3.49 billion, and exports to the United States surged 33 percent to $2.49 billion.Exports to Vietnam gained 25 percent to $1.57 billion and those to the European Union went up 24.1 percent to $1.28 billion.Shipments to Japan increased 25.5 percent to $722 million, and exports to Taiwan soared 96.7 percent to $643 million.The government expected exports to advance 9 percent this year to reach a record high of over $700 billion.Source: Yonhap News Agency