S.Korea's ICT exports fall on weak demand for digital TVs

South Korean exports of information and communications technology (ICT) products fell for the first time in three months as demand for digital TVs weakened, a government report showed Thursday.

Exports of ICT products, including mobile phones and TVs, reduced 2.1 percent from a year earlier to 14.19 billion U.S. dollars in August, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. It marked the first decline since a 7.6 percent reduction in May.

Among major items, shipments of chips, handsets and display panels increased for the third straight month last month due to solid demand, but digital TV exports plunged 35.5 percent on year in August as temporary impact from the 2014 Brazil World Cup disappeared.

The World Cup effect led the fifth straight month of a double- digit growth in South Korea's LCD TV exports in the past five months by July, the ministry said.

The shift of summer vacation mainly into August reduced last month's business day by one day compared with a year earlier, contributing to an ICT export decline. Daily average exports, excluding the working day effect, gained to 630 million dollars in August from 617 million dollars a year earlier.

Trade surplus in the ICT sector came to 7.46 billion dollars in August, contributing to a 4.72 billion dollar surplus for all industries.