Korea's October exports nearly double on semiconductor surge
SEOUL: South Korea's exports almost doubled in October, driven by an unprecedented boom in semiconductor demand, government data showed on Sunday.
The outbound shipments, which account for about half of the export-led economy, surged 93.7% from a year earlier to $115.28 billion in October, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources.
It marked the second-highest monthly export figure after hitting a record high of $121.1 billion in September.
Semiconductor exports skyrocketed 259.4% to $56.44 billion amid the continued expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure investments that led to price increases in memory chips.
For the first 10 months of 2026, cumulative exports reached $930 billion, putting the country on track to surpass the historic annual export value of $1 trillion by November.
Imports advanced 36.0% to $72.78 billion last month, sending the trade surplus to $42.50 billion.
By RSS/Xinhua
