In brief
South Korea posted its highest one‑month export total of US$115.3 billion in October, a 93.7% increase from a year earlier, driven by a 259% rise in semiconductor exports to $56.4 billion. Trade surplus rose to $42.5 billion as imports climbed 36% to $72.78 billion. The Bank of Korea said the growth outpaced forecasts and reflected the country’s resilience amid global supply‑chain pressures.
South Korea’s monthly exports surged to a record US$115.3 billion in October, a 93.7 % jump from a year earlier, according to data released by the Bank of Korea and reported by Yonhap on November 1. The rise was largely driven by a 259 % surge in semiconductor shipments, bringing semiconductor exports to US$56.4 billion.
Other sectors also contributed to the uptick: petroleum products rose 80 % to US$6.92 billion, petrochemical products 27.5 % to US$4.0 billion, cosmetics 57.5 % to US$1.44 billion, and automobile exports 18.1 % to US$6.55 billion. Exports to China climbed 133.6 % to US$26.98 billion, while shipments to the United States surged 185.8 % to US$24.9 billion, both led by strong demand for semiconductors and AI‑infrastructure equipment.
The country posted a trade surplus of US$42.5 billion as imports rose 36 % year‑over‑year to US$72.78 billion. According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, the surge reflected strong global demand for chips and continued investment in artificial‑intelligence infrastructure.
One outlet, the Bank of Korea, noted that export growth “outpaced every forecast” and climbed 18 % from the same month a year earlier, underscoring the resilience of South Korea’s supply‑chain position amid ongoing global demand for technology components.
