The RoK exported goods worth US$4.5 billion to Vietnam in the first half of this year, up 78 percent from a year earlier, the state-run export agency reported on August 16.

Accordingly, Vietnam has risen to 10^th from 13^th among the RoK’s markets last year, when the RoK shipped US$5.8 billion worth of goods to the Southeast Asian country.

Of the exports in the first half of 2008, petroleum products reached US$1.4 billion, accounting for 30 percent. Automobile exports represented US$380 million, or 8.4 percent. Textile and steel plate exports earned US$270 million and US$260 million respectively, accounting for around 6 percent each.

Meanwhile, the RoK imported US$1 billion worth of goods from Vietnam in the reviewed period, marking a trade surplus of US$3.5 billion with the Southeast Asian country, according to the Kotra.