SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) -South Korea’s semiconductor exports soared to a record high in September, propelling the country’s overall ICT exports to their strongest level ever.
According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, ICT exports rose 14 percent on year to $25.43 billion, while imports climbed 10.4 percent to $13.78 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $11.65 billion.
Semiconductors accounted for the bulk of outbound shipments, totaling $16.62 billion, up 22 percent from a year earlier, driven by solid demand for high-end memory chips such as DDR5 and high-bandwidth memory (HBM).
Exports of telecommunications equipment jumped 38.3 percent to $220 million, fueled by brisk demand for 5G network gear in India. Display exports also edged up 1.3 percent to $1.92 billion, supported by wider adoption of OLED panels in IT devices and stronger sales of smartphones, TVs, and laptops.
By contrast, mobile-phone and computer exports fell 10.7 percent and 10.1 percent, respectively, to $1.49 billion and $1.47 billion.
Shipments expanded across most markets except the tariff-strong United States. Exports to Taiwan surged 53.5 percent to $4.29 billion, to the European Union rose 22.8 percent to $1.3 billion, and to India jumped 35 percent to $500 million. Exports to China and Vietnam increased 1.1 percent and 20.8 percent, respectively, while those to Japan gained 13 percent to $390 million. Shipments to the United States, however, slipped 4 percent to $2.91 billion.
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