South Korea’s exports hit a new record in September, fueled by surging demand for chips used in artificial intelligence (AI). Exports rose by 83.5 percent compared to the same period last year, with goods worth $120.9 billion exported in a single month.
According to preliminary customs data released on Thursday, September’s exports surpassed the previous monthly record. The country had previously set a record in June by exporting goods worth $102.25 billion.
Chips were the primary driver behind this record. South Korean customs data shows that chip exports surged by more than 260 percent in September, reaching $60.3 billion. This means chips accounted for nearly half of the country’s total exports for the month.
South Korea’s total exports from January to September stood at $814.5 billion. This figure, achieved in just nine months, surpassed the total export value for the entire year of 2025. Last year, the country’s exports totaled $709.7 billion.
In the first nine months of this year, South Korea recorded a trade surplus of $49.85 billion.
Trade and Industry Minister Kim Jeong-kwan stated that this achievement highlights the strength of the nation’s industries and companies. He attributed the success to the hard work of entrepreneurs amidst fierce global market competition.
He noted that South Korea is moving toward an annual export target of $1 trillion. However, he cautioned that rising protectionist policies worldwide and tensions in the Middle East could significantly impact exports.
South Korea’s economy is growing rapidly this year, even amidst the global dynamics surrounding memory chips used in AI technology. As Asia’s fourth-largest economy, the country is a major global hub for the semiconductor industry. Its leading memory chip manufacturers are SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics. According to data from Counterpoint Research, these two companies control approximately 80 percent of the global market for High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) chips and about 60 percent of the market for Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM).
South Korea’s nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 26.4 percent in the April–June quarter—the highest rate recorded in five decades.
South Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance has forecast a 3 percent growth in real GDP for 2026. Excluding the anomalous years of the COVID-19 pandemic, this would mark the country’s strongest growth since 2017.
The rise of AI has also impacted South Korea’s stock market. This year, the market has emerged as one of the best-performing globally, with the benchmark KOSPI index rising by approximately 60 percent.
