SEOUL / RankWire.AI / – South Korea’s outbound shipments climbed 68.7% year-on-year in August, reaching $98.25 billion, driven by persistent global demand for high-performance memory chips and artificial intelligence infrastructure. Official data from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources revealed that imports rose 22.5% to $63.51 billion during the same period, resulting in a monthly trade surplus of $34.75 billion. This strong performance marks the 15th consecutive month of trade expansion for Asia’s fourth-largest economy.
Exports of semiconductors, the main contributor to Korea’s trade growth, jumped 209% year-on-year to an all-time high of $46.65 billion. The increase was driven by ongoing capital investments among leading global technology firms expanding data center networks and deploying enterprise AI hardware. Notably, this marks the third consecutive month in which semiconductor exports surpassed the $40 billion mark. Additionally, data from the Yonhap News Agency indicated that computer product exports grew 419.5% to $6.24 billion amid rising NAND memory prices worldwide.
Trade Ministry Confirms $34.75 Billion Monthly Surplus
Energy and chemical industries also contributed to the overall gains. Petroleum product exports increased 65.3% year-on-year to $6.84 billion, while petrochemical shipments rose 12.2% to $3.86 billion. Elevated global crude oil prices supported higher unit prices across these categories. Conversely, automobile exports fell 29.8% to $3.85 billion, a decline attributed to temporary seasonal shutdowns, summer holiday adjustments in major domestic auto plants, and local labor disputes, according to government officials.
Trade data shows broad-based growth to key trading partners. Exports to China surged 119.3% year-on-year to $24.1 billion, supported by large shipments of memory chips and industrial machinery. Shipments to the United States increased 89.3% to $16.5 billion, driven by robust demand for enterprise computing hardware and advanced semiconductors. The trade ministry’s records indicate that Korea maintained growth across seven of its nine primary regional markets during August.
Computer Equipment Exports Hit New Monthly Highs
Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jung-kwan highlighted in an official statement that exports excluding semiconductors grew 20% overall, reflecting broader recovery in secondary export sectors. Besides core tech components, secondary battery exports increased 24% to $600 million, while biohealth shipments advanced 22.3% to a record $1.41 billion, driven by expanding supply contracts in Europe. Korea’s August exports jumped 68.7% to $98.25 billion as officials continue to monitor shifts in global trade policies and supply chain dynamics.
Average daily export values, adjusted for working days, rose 72.5% year-on-year to $4.47 billion, marking four straight months above the $4 billion level. Analysts predict that export momentum will persist, supported by strong global technology hardware demand entering the final quarter. The government’s financial agencies will release detailed quarterly trade balance reports after completing September data collection.