South Korea achieved a record high in May for its exports of information and communication technology (ICT) products, reaching $47.79 billion. This surge, up by 128.9% from the previous year, was primarily fueled by the demand for semiconductors and other AI-related products. It marks the first time that monthly ICT exports have surpassed $40 billion for three consecutive months.
Imports also saw a significant increase, rising by 36% year-on-year to $15.7 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $32.09 billion in the sector. Semiconductor exports notably soared by 169.2% to $37.16 billion, supported by investments in AI servers and rising memory chip prices.
The data revealed that exports of computers and related equipment more than tripled to $4.33 billion, driven by the growing demand for solid-state drives (SSDs) used in AI data centers. Additionally, smartphone exports increased by 15.9%, while exports of display panels saw a modest rise of 2.8% from the previous year.
Exports to the United States surged by over 250% to $8.1 billion, while exports to China, including Hong Kong, more than doubled to $19.5 billion. Shipments to Vietnam also increased significantly by 90.8% year-on-year to $6.8 billion.
SK hynix, amid the global AI boom, expanded its workforce by over 2,000 positions last year, primarily due to the heightened demand for memory chips. This increase in hiring is notable given the general slowdown in the country’s job market. As of the end of 2025, SK hynix employed 34,549 individuals, up by 2,159 from the previous year, while Samsung Electronics Co.’s chip business division saw a slight decrease in employees.
