June exports recorded their biggest rise in nearly five decades, driven by AI-related chip demand, days after Seoul, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix announced a major semiconductor investment plan.
South Korea’s exports extended their strong run in June and posted their biggest increase in nearly five decades, driven by persistent global demand for advanced semiconductors used in the artificial-intelligence boom. The surge highlights the strength of the country’s trade sector and the central role of chips in its economy, while also underscoring a structural vulnerability: heavy reliance on semiconductor demand leaves growth sensitive to swings in the global technology cycle. The export jump came days after the South Korean government, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix unveiled a major investment plan to strengthen the country’s position in the global semiconductor supply chain amid competition from U.S. and Chinese rivals.