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15h ago

South Korea Exports Top $700 Billion for the First Time

A chip-led rebound drove the surge, signaling a turn toward new markets.

Cranes and shipping containers are seen at Pyeongtaek port in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, April 2, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
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Containers are stacked at a port in Pyeongtaek, about 60 kilometers south of Seoul, on Nov. 14, 2025. (Yonhap)
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Overview

  • Provisional government data show the threshold was crossed at 1:03 p.m. Monday, making South Korea the sixth country to exceed $700 billion in annual exports.
  • Exports set record highs for each month from June through November, with September reaching an all-time monthly high of $65.9 billion.
  • Semiconductor shipments totaled $152.6 billion from January to November, up 19.8% year over year and accounting for 23.8% of total exports, driven by AI server demand and higher memory prices.
  • Broader manufacturing contributed as automobiles reached $66.0 billion, shipbuilding climbed 28.6% to $29.0 billion, and biohealth rose 6.5% to $14.7 billion over the same period.
  • The export mix shifted away from the United States and China toward ASEAN, the European Union and Latin America, while FDI notifications topped $35 billion with a record greenfield share and the government set goals to repeat both targets next year.