South Korea's exports surge as AI demand lifts chip shipments

South Korean exports rose 93.7% year over year in October as global AI investment drove record semiconductor and computer shipments.

By TomorrowNews · AI-assisted briefing
Source published 01 Nov 2026 · Briefing published 1 November 2026

Conceptual semiconductor wafers, AI servers and container exports at a South Korean port — AI-generated illustration — not a photograph of the event. Conceptual editorial rendering, not documentary evidence. · TomorrowNews / AI-generated illustration

Government data cited by Reuters showed exports reached $115.28 billion, the strongest annual increase since 1974. Semiconductor shipments rose to $56.44 billion and computer exports climbed sharply on demand for AI servers.

The comparison was also amplified by more working days than a year earlier because of the timing of the Chuseok holiday. South Korea's trade ministry said annual exports were on course to pass $1 trillion in November.

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