Fueled by a booming semiconductor industry, exports in the second quarter hit an all-time high since data collection began.

Driven by the joint export momentum of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, the trade concentration of the top 10 companies also reached a record high.

According to the preliminary trade statistics by corporate characteristics for the second quarter of 2026 released by the National Statistics Office and the Korea Customs Service, exports in the second quarter surged 57.3% from a year earlier to 275.5 billion dollars.

This marks the highest figure since quarterly data collection began in 2015.

In particular, large corporations saw a much higher growth rate at 81.8%, compared to 10.9% for mid-sized enterprises and 13.1% for small and medium-sized enterprises, which is attributed to the unprecedented semiconductor industry boom.

The trade concentration of the top 10 exporters also rose 17 percentage points from a year earlier to 55.3%, setting a record high.

By industry, mining and manufacturing, which includes semiconductors, saw the largest increase at 64.9%, while electrical and electronics exports jumped 109.8% to 160.4 billion dollars, accounting for 58% of total exports.

By the nature of goods, capital goods saw a significant increase of 87.1%, largely driven by semiconductors.

However, consumer goods exports declined by 0.5%.

While cosmetics increased due to the influence of K-beauty, automobiles decreased due to expanded local production and tariff issues.

By region, export growth was large in the U.S. at 64.3%, China at 78.2%, and Southeast Asia at 85.1%, whereas decreases were seen in the Middle East at -14% and the Commonwealth of Independent States at -11%.

(Photo: Yonhap News)