June Exports Reach $102.2 Billion, Surpassing $100 Billion for the First Time

South Korea's exports in June reached a historic milestone, surpassing $100 billion for the first time ever.

Semiconductors, a key export item, led the overall performance with over $40 billion in sales, while the trade surplus also exceeded $30 billion for the first time.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on Wednesday (July 1) that exports in June rose 70.9 percent compared to the same month last year, reaching $102.25 billion.

This marks the first time that monthly exports have exceeded $100 billion.

With this achievement, South Korea has become the fourth country in the world to reach $100 billion in monthly exports, following Germany, China, and the United States.

Semiconductors were the primary driver of this export growth.

Driven by increased demand for memory chips due to the expansion of global artificial intelligence infrastructure and rising fixed prices, semiconductor exports in June surged 199.5 percent year-on-year to $44.82 billion.

This is also the first time that monthly semiconductor exports have surpassed $40 billion.

Other information technology items also showed strong performance.

Computer exports increased by 308.8 percent to $5.41 billion, and wireless communication device exports rose by 51.9 percent to $1.55 billion.

Among the top 20 major export items, 18 showed growth, indicating balanced expansion.

By region, exports increased in seven out of the nine major export destinations.

In particular, exports to China and the United States, South Korea's largest trading partners, both exceeded $20 billion.

The trade balance for June recorded a surplus of $36.15 billion, surpassing the $30 billion mark for the first time in history.

The cumulative export value for the first half of this year reached $496.7 billion, setting a new record.

If this trend continues through the second half of the year, total annual exports are expected to exceed $1 trillion.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.