AI-Driven ICT Exports Reach Record High in First Half with $253.8 Billion

ICT Share Surpasses Half of Total Exports for the First Time

First-Half Trade Surplus Sets New Annual Record

Due to the surge in demand for semiconductors driven by artificial intelligence (AI), South Korea’s information and communication technology (ICT) exports in the first half of this year reached a record high of 253.86 billion dollars (approximately 378 trillion won). For the first time, ICT accounted for more than half of Korea’s total exports.

The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced the “2026 First Half and June ICT Export-Import Trends” on July 14.

South Korea's ICT exports for the first half of the year totaled 253.86 billion dollars, marking a 120.5% increase compared to the same period last year (115.12 billion dollars). The proportion of ICT in total industrial exports reached 51.1%, surpassing the halfway mark for the first time. The ICT trade surplus also set a new all-time record in the first half, breaking what was previously the largest annual surplus on record.

The main drivers of ICT exports in the first half were semiconductors and solid-state drives (SSD). As global demand for AI increased, exports of these products accounted for 83.7% of total ICT exports.

Semiconductor exports came to 192.43 billion dollars, a 162.5% surge year-on-year, reaching the highest first-half performance ever. The explosive growth in AI demand and the resulting rise in semiconductor prices fueled this gain. The semiconductor export total for the first half of 2026 is also 10.9% higher than the 173.49 billion dollars recorded for all of 2025.

Exports of computers and peripheral devices reached 22.16 billion dollars, rising 233.8%. SSD exports hit 19.94 billion dollars, a 317.5% jump on the back of expanded AI demand. Mobile phone exports were up 38% year-on-year to 8.4 billion dollars, driven by increased sales of premium products by domestic companies. Display exports grew 3.8% to 9.03 billion dollars, and communications equipment exports rose 7.3% to 1.24 billion dollars.

Looking at exports by region, most major markets saw significant growth. Exports to China (including Hong Kong) topped the list at 101.16 billion dollars, up 141.0%. This was followed by the United States (45.44 billion dollars, up 215.6%), Vietnam (33.24 billion dollars, up 74.5%), Taiwan (29.68 billion dollars, up 92.5%), and the European Union (9.87 billion dollars, up 70.1%).

ICT imports for the first half reached 93.21 billion dollars, a 31.3% rise from the same period last year. Accordingly, the ICT trade surplus for the first half came to 160.65 billion dollars—already surpassing the previous largest annual trade surplus of 113.22 billion dollars, recorded in 2018.

In June alone, ICT exports totaled 57.29 billion dollars, a 160.4% jump from the same month last year. This marked the first time monthly ICT exports exceeded 50 billion dollars. During the same month, imports were up 46.4% to 18.2 billion dollars, with a trade surplus of 39.09 billion dollars.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.