October 12, 2026 / SemiMedia / — South Korea’s semiconductor exports continued their strong growth momentum, with total exports reaching $26.1 billion during the first ten days of October, up 102% year over year and marking the highest level for the same period on record.

According to preliminary data released by the Korea Customs Service, semiconductor exports during the period reached $12.2 billion, increasing 170.1% compared with the previous year. Semiconductor products accounted for 46.7% of South Korea’s total exports, up 11.9 percentage points from the same period last year.

The strong performance was mainly driven by continued demand from artificial intelligence infrastructure. Expanding AI data center investment has increased demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM), DRAM and other memory products, benefiting major Korean suppliers including Samsung Electronics and SK hynix.

South Korea’s exports to major markets also increased significantly. Exports to mainland China, the United States, Vietnam, Taiwan and the European Union rose 167.3%, 159.9%, 89.7%, 2.6% and 127.3% respectively.

As AI server investment continues globally, memory demand remains a key growth driver for South Korea’s semiconductor industry. The rising contribution of semiconductors to national exports highlights the growing influence of AI infrastructure in global semiconductor trade.