Exports Soar on Semiconductor Boom, Hitting Record High in Early June

Driven by the continued strong performance of semiconductor exports, South Korea's exports in the first ten days of this month surged by over 80% compared to the same period last year, reaching an all-time high.

According to the Korea Customs Service on Thursday (June 11), exports (preliminary customs data) from June 1 to 10 totaled $28.6 billion, an 85.9% increase from a year ago.

This marks the highest figure ever recorded for the first ten days of a month.

The previous record was $25.2 billion, set during the same period in April, meaning the record was broken in just two months.

The number of working days was 7, which is 1.5 days more than the same period last year (5.5 days).

Average daily exports stood at $4.09 billion, up 46.1%.

By item, semiconductor exports jumped 205.8% to $11.1 billion.

This is the highest level ever for the first ten days of a month and the first time it has exceeded $10 billion.

Semiconductors accounted for 38.7% of total exports, an increase of 15.1 percentage points (p) from a year ago.

Exports of petroleum products also rose significantly (68.7%), and passenger vehicles, the second-largest export item, saw a 25.4% increase.

Exports of computer peripherals surged by 259.4%.

By country, exports to major markets all increased, including China (101.4%), the United States (54.4%), Vietnam (102.9%), the European Union (46.0%), and Taiwan (134.0%).

The top three destinations—China, the U.S., and Vietnam—accounted for 47.3% of the total.

Imports totaled $23.4 billion, a 35.6% increase from a year ago.

Crude oil imports rose by 42.9%, reaching $3 billion.

With exports outpacing imports, the trade balance recorded a surplus of $5.3 billion.

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