SEOUL - South Korea recorded a trade surplus for the fourth successive month in May as imports declined more sharply than exports amid the global slowdown, customs data showed Wednesday.

Last month's surplus was US$5.06 billion, compared with US$5.79 billion in April, according to the revised data following preliminary figures earlier this month.

Exports fell 28.5 percent year-on-year to US$28.14 billion in May while imports plunged 40.3 percent to US$23.08 billion.

South Korea posted a cumulative trade surplus of US$14.19 billion in the first five months of the year, compared with a cumulative deficit of US$6.34 billion during the same period last year.