South Korea's trade deficit with Japan soared in April from a year earlier, data showed Thursday, as the weak Japanese currency dented local exports.

Asia's fourth-largest economy saw its trade deficit with Japan reach 248.2 billion yen ($2.39 billion) in April, up 45.7 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Japan's finance ministry.

It marked the fourth shortfall South Korea has registered with Japan this year since January, when the deficit came to 88.8 billion yen.

By country, South Korea became the second-biggest loser in the Japanese market in terms of trade, while the United States saw its trade deficit reach 562.9 billion yen in April.

While Hong Kong posted a trade deficit of 281 billion yen with Japan, its losses were recouped by a 442.4 billion yen gain posted by mainland China.

Market watchers said South Korea's deficit came as the weak Japanese yen inflicted foreign exchange losses on local exporters, making their goods more expensive overseas and hurting firms that compete with Japanese firms.

"As the won-yen cross rate is closely linked with the global market share of local export goods, it is likely (the weak yen) will continue to weigh down on the country's trade balance," said Shin Min-young, an economist at LG Economic Research Institute.

The yen has been trading lower against other currencies as Tokyo has tried to boost its economy via so-called Abenomics -- a mixture of aggressive monetary and fiscal policies preached by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The local currency closed at 1,082.16 won per 100 yen on Wednesday, up 13.3 percent from 1,266.91 won tallied at end-December 2012. (Yonhap News)