South Korea's robot exports more than doubled in 2011 compared with a year earlier due to strong demand for locally-made robots used in the manufacturing sector, a government report showed Wednesday.
Robot exports reached 521.1 billion won (457 million U.S. dollars) in 2011, up 127.6 percent from a year before, according to the Ministry of Knowledge Economy.
Exports grew sharply last year thanks to a surge in demand for robots for manufacturing use and robot cleaners, the ministry said.
Trade balance in the robot industry logged a surplus of 190.2 billion won last year, a turnaround from a deficit of 43.9 billion won a year before.
Helped by brisk exports, robot production in 2011 reached 2.15 trillion won, topping the 2 trillion won mark two years after breaching the 1 trillion won level in 2009.
Output in robots used in the manufacturing sector increased 16. 8 percent on-year to 1.67 trillion won in 2011, with production for the service industry use expanding 13.4 percent to 307.6 billion won. Production in robot-related parts jumped 86.1 percent to 190.9 billion won over the cited period.