Investing.com --South Korea's exports have reached $709.4 billion so far this year, already surpassing the country's full-year record set in 2025 as booming global demand for artificial intelligence chips fuels semiconductor shipments, Reuters reported on Saturday.
The latest figure topped the $709.3 billion exported during all of last year, which itself marked a second consecutive annual record.
South Korea is now on course to reach $1 trillion in annual exports by early December, according to the Korea Customs Service. Crossing that threshold would make the country the fourth to achieve the milestone after the United States, China and Germany.
Semiconductors have powered much of the increase. Chip exports jumped 169.6% from a year earlier to $281 billion during the January-August period, accounting for 41% of the country's total exports.
South Korea is home to Samsung Electronics (KS:005930) and SK Hynix (KS:000660), two of the world's largest memory-chip manufacturers. Both companies have benefited from rising chip prices as heavy spending on AI infrastructure increases demand and contributes to supply shortages.
Semiconductor strength contrasts with weaker automotive shipments. Passenger cars, the country's second-largest export category, recorded a 4% decline in overseas shipments during the first eight months of the year compared with the same period in 2025.
Demand from South Korea's two largest trading partners also climbed sharply. Exports to China, the country's biggest overseas market, surged 76% during January-August, with shipments to the United States rising 57%.
The customs office said export momentum remained strong despite growing protectionism, changes to global supply chains and uncertainty stemming from the Middle East.
The figures underline the growing role of AI-related semiconductor demand in South Korea's trade performance, with chips now representing more than two-fifths of the country's exports.
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