South Korea’s exports jumped sharply during the first 10 days of May, driven by booming global demand for semiconductors and continued momentum in artificial intelligence-related infrastructure spending.
According to data released by the Korea Customs Service, outbound shipments rose 43.7 percent year-on-year to $18.4 billion during the May 1 to May 10 period.
The figure marked the highest export total ever recorded for the first 10 days of May, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Imports also increased 14.9 percent year-on-year to $16.7 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of approximately $1.7 billion.
Semiconductors remained the primary growth driver.
Chip exports surged 149.8 percent year-on-year to a record $8.54 billion, supported by rising memory chip prices and accelerating demand tied to artificial intelligence servers and data centre infrastructure.
The semiconductor figure also represented the highest amount ever recorded for the same early-May period.
South Korea remains one of the world’s largest semiconductor exporters, with companies including Samsung Electronics and SK hynix playing central roles in global memory chip supply chains.
The latest data further highlights the continued strength of the global AI investment cycle, which has driven a sharp increase in demand for advanced memory chips, high-performance computing infrastructure, and cloud data center capacity.
Industry analysts say AI-related spending by hyperscale technology companies continues driving one of the strongest semiconductor upcycles in years.
The export rebound also reflects improving conditions across South Korea’s trade sector following earlier periods of weakness linked to slowing global demand and inventory corrections in the technology industry.
South Korea’s export performance is closely watched by global investors as a major indicator of broader international trade and technology demand trends, given the country’s heavy exposure to electronics and semiconductors.
The strong early-May figures also reinforce growing optimism about the global semiconductor sector, particularly in AI-linked memory and data processing segments.
Analysts note that higher memory chip prices and tighter supply conditions have significantly improved profitability expectations for major Asian semiconductor manufacturers.
At the same time, geopolitical tensions and global supply chain competition continue shaping long-term investment strategies across the semiconductor industry as countries accelerate efforts to secure strategic chip manufacturing capabilities.
The latest trade figures arrive as Asian technology stocks continue to benefit from renewed investor enthusiasm surrounding the expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure and growth in semiconductor demand.
With inputs from WAM
