🇰🇷South Korean exports reached $709.4 billion year-to-date; January–August semiconductor exports totaled $281 billion, up 169.6%.

South Korean exports reached $709.4 billion year-to-date, exceeding the country’s previous full-year record of $709.3 billion set in 2025. The reported total was measured as of 1 p.m. on September 5.

Semiconductor exports during January–August totaled $281 billion, an increase of 169.6% year over year. Chips accounted for 41% of South Korea’s total exports over that period, with global demand for artificial-intelligence chips identified as a major driver.

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, both based in South Korea, were identified as leading global memory-chip manufacturers. The report said rising AI investment had contributed to chip shortages and higher chip prices.

Passenger vehicles were South Korea’s second-largest export category, but overseas shipments declined 4% year over year during January–August. The head of Korea Customs projected that annual exports could reach $1 trillion in early December if the current momentum continues; that figure is a forecast, not a completed result.