South Korea’s ICT exports set a record in August at $59.98 billion, up 162.6% year-on-year. For the first time, ICT accounted for more than 60% of the country’s total exports.
The breakdown shows where the push came from:
- Chip exports: $46.67 billion (up 209%)
- Computer and communications equipment: $6.4 billion (up 383.1%)
- ICT trade surplus: $41.37 billion — also a record
- Shipments to the United States rose more than 300%; exports to China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, the EU and India also climbed sharply
One force drives it: global AI infrastructure spending. For Samsung Electronics and SK hynix this is harvest season — and a reminder that component prices and availability in our market depend heavily on where the world’s memory supply is flowing.