South Korea’s exports hit record high on AI boom
Summary
South Korea’s exports reached a new record of $120.9 billion in September, driven largely by strong demand for chips used in artificial intelligence (AI). Chip shipments grew over 260 percent, making up nearly half of the exports, and the country’s economy is benefiting from the global AI boom.Key Facts
- South Korea’s exports in September were $120.9 billion, up 83.5% from the previous year and surpassing the June record of $102.25 billion.
- Chip shipments accounted for nearly half of exports, rising more than 260% to $60.3 billion.
- Total exports from January to September reached $814.5 billion, higher than the full-year record of $709.7 billion in 2025.
- The country recorded a trade surplus of $49.85 billion in the first nine months of the year.
- South Korea is a major player in the semiconductor industry, with SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics controlling about 80% of the global high-bandwidth memory market.
- GDP growth in April-June hit a 50-year high at 26.4% year-on-year (nominal).
- The Ministry of Finance and Economy expects real GDP growth of 3% in 2026, the strongest since 2017 (excluding pandemic years).
- The AI boom also pushed South Korea’s stock market (Kospi) up nearly 60% this year.
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