South Korea's June exports rose 70.9% YoY, imports rose 30.1% YoY, and the trade surplus hit a record $36.15bn. Semiconductors led the gains: chip shipments increased 199.5% YoY to $44.8bn, supported by strong AI and data-center investment. Computer-

2026-07-01

South Korea's June exports rose 70.9% YoY, imports rose 30.1% YoY, and the trade surplus hit a record $36.15bn. Semiconductors led the gains: chip shipments increased 199.5% YoY to $44.8bn, supported by strong AI and data-center investment. Computer-related exports rose 308.8% and petroleum product exports rose 49.8%. Strong semiconductor demand is sustaining export-led growth and partly offsetting weakness in traditional sectors.