North Korea's trade last year exceeded three billion dollars, with China accounting for more than half of the figure.

The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency said Monday that North Korean trade rose five-point-one percent from 2004 for its highest performance since 1991, and if inter-Korean transactions were included, the figure was more than four billion dollars.

Imports posted two billion dollars, up some nine percent from 2004, and exports hit almost one billion dollars, down two percent.

In addition to China, the North's main trading partners remained Thailand, Japan and Russia.

Inter-Korean trade hit the billion-dollar mark last year for the first time, accounting for 26 percent of the North's trade and due mainly to the Gaesong Industrial Complex and Mount Geumgang tours.