South Korea's exports of information and communication technology (ICT) products reached a record high for the first half of the year, fueled by surging global demand for artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, according to government data released on Tuesday, Qazinform News Agency cites Yonhap.
The Ministry of Science and ICT said in a press release that ICT exports totaled 253.9 billion US dollars between January and June, marking a 120.5 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
During the six-month period, ICT imports rose 31.3 percent year over year to 93.2 billion US dollars, resulting in a trade surplus of 160.7 billion US dollars.
Semiconductors remained the key driver of export growth, with shipments soaring 162.5 percent to 192.4 billion US dollars. The ministry attributed the increase to strong global demand for AI chips and higher memory chip prices.
Exports of computers and communications equipment surged 233.8 percent, surpassing 20 billion US dollars for the first time in the January-June period. The ministry said the growth was largely supported by increased exports of solid-state drives (SSDs) used in AI infrastructure.
Mobile phone exports climbed 38 percent from a year earlier, while display exports posted a modest 3.8 percent increase.
By market, exports to China and Hong Kong rose a combined 141 percent year over year. Shipments to Vietnam increased 74.5 percent, while exports to the United States surged 215.6 percent.
In June alone, South Korea exported 57.3 billion US dollars worth of ICT products despite ongoing uncertainty stemming from the conflict in the Middle East.
The country also recorded a monthly ICT trade surplus of 39.1 billion US dollars, the highest ever reported for a single month, according to the ministry.
Earlier, Qazinform reported South Korea unveils a $518 billion plan for a new semiconductor hub.