Cargo processed at South Korea's seaports grew slightly in 2013 from a year earlier on a rise in import-export cargo, the government said Monday.

The amount of cargo handled at the country's seaports reached about 1.35 billion tons last year, up 0.8 percent from the previous year, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

Import-export cargo edged up 0.9 percent on-year to some 1.12 billion tons while domestic cargo gained 0.3 percent to about 230 million tons.

In 2013, the country's overall exports reached a record high of $559.6 billion, growing 2.1 percent from the previous year, the commerce ministry said earlier.

In terms of container cargo, the country processed 23.44 million twenty-foot-equivalent units, up 3.9 percent from 22.55 million TEUs in 2012, the ministry said in a press release.

Import-export cargo gained 2 percent on-year to some 13.94 million TEUs while transshipment cargo surged 9.6 percent to 9.31 million TEUs. Transshipment cargo refers to cargo handled here while en route to a final destination, often to change means of transportation.

By port, the country's largest port in Busan processed some 17.68 million TEUs, maintaining its position as the world's fifth-largest seaport for the 11th consecutive year. The figure marks a 3.7 percent on-year gain. (Yonhap News)