South Korea’s exports rose 68.7% year on year to USD 98.25 billion in August 2026, holding above USD 90 billion for a third straight month and ranking as the third-highest monthly total on record after June’s USD 102 billion and July’s about USD 99 billion, according to Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy data. The reading beat the 62.6% median forecast in a Reuters poll after July’s 63.0% gain and extended the export expansion to a 15th consecutive month; with 22 working days versus 22.5 a year earlier, average daily exports climbed 72.5% to USD 4.47 billion. Semiconductor exports set a new monthly record at USD 46.65 billion, up 209.0% year on year and about 47.5% of the total, staying above USD 40 billion for a third straight month as hyperscalers such as Google and Amazon expanded AI infrastructure and demand surged for high-bandwidth memory and server DRAM from Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. Rising memory prices reinforced values, non-semiconductor exports grew 20%, computers jumped 419.5% to a record USD 6.24 billion, and wireless devices rose 21.2%, while automobiles and ships fell; exports to China, the United States and ASEAN surged, imports rose 22.5% to USD 63.51 billion, and the surplus reached USD 34.75 billion. Strong semiconductor-related dollar inflows and exporter selling helped the South Korean won trade around 1,373 per dollar, near its strongest level since July 2025, with additional support from month-end and custody-related flows, the Bank of Korea’s 3% policy rate and a firmer growth outlook tied to the government’s record 2027 budget for AI, semiconductors and other growth industries. Renewed US-Iran military clashes and oil prices above USD 91 a barrel have heightened inflation and risk concerns, while higher US Treasury yields and expectations for further Federal Reserve tightening could limit further won gains. Private PMI surveys also showed factory activity expanding across much of Asia in August on demand for chips, computers and other AI-related products, with South Korea’s manufacturing PMI at 52.3 for a ninth straight month above 50.