▲ People work at a clothes manufacturing factory in North Korea, in this file photo provided by the Chosun Shinbo, a newspaper run by a pro-North Korean group representing Zainichi Koreans, on July 20, 2025. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, July 28 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's exports rose sharply to an eight-year high in 2025 as the country's trade continued to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, data showed Tuesday.

North Korea exported US$468.59 million worth of goods in 2025, up 30 percent from a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA).

The figure marked the highest level since 2017, when the country's goods exports reached US$1.77 billion.

The reclusive country's exports have steadily increased in recent years after plunging in 2020 due to the global outbreak.

Its imports totaled $2.66 billion, up 13.9 percent from a year earlier, resulting in a trade deficit of $2.19 billion.

China was North Korea's biggest trade partner, accounting for 98.2 percent of its total trade.

North Korea's trade deficit with China rose 11.9 percent to US$2.19 billion last year.

Prepared feathers and down, minerals, steel, mineral fuels, and watches and watch parts were North Korea's major export items, the latest KOTRA data showed.

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