South Korea’s export price index rose 49.1% in July from a year earlier, the steepest increase since March 1998 and the 13th straight month of double-digit growth, as semiconductor prices continued to surge. Separately, government data showed July ICT exports jumped 140.6% to a record $53.36 billion for the month, with semiconductors accounting for $41.02 billion, up 178.8%, as global artificial intelligence investment lifted demand for server memory and related hardware. Export prices rose 1% from the previous month, while import prices fell 1% for a second straight monthly decline as the won-dollar exchange rate and Dubai crude prices eased, though import prices remained 18.7% higher than a year earlier. ICT imports rose 37.3% to $18.3 billion, leaving a $35.06 billion trade surplus, while the gap between export and import prices helped lift South Korea’s terms of trade.