Outbound shipments came to $53.2 billion last month, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
Imports climbed 44 percent to $51.5 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $1.67 billion. It marked the 16th consecutive month for the country to post a trade surplus.
The August exports came in line with what the market had been expecting.
According to a poll by Yonhap Infomax, the financial arm of Yonhap News Agency, the country's August exports were expected to have risen 34.5 percent on-year.
Last week, South Korea's central bank kept this year's economic growth outlook at 4 percent, citing strong outbound shipments.
The country's economy shrank 0.9 percent in 2020. (Yonhap)
