South Korea December exports to China, U.S., EU all rise

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean exports to its top three markets of China, the United States and the European Union all posted growth in December over a year earlier, government data showed on Thursday.

Shipments to China rose 1.7 percent in December from a year earlier, exports to the United States jumped 21.5 percent and sales to the European Union grew 5.6 percent, the trade ministry data showed.

Meanwhile, the ministry forecast exports for the whole of this year would rise 3.7 percent and imports gain 3.2 percent.

(Reporting by Christine Kim; Editing by Choonsik Yoo)