AI, chips boom sent South Korea exports soaring in 2025

South Korea’s total exports were valued at over $700 billion in the last year, up by 3.8 percent.
Semiconductor exports soared to $173.4 billion, a record high and more than 20 percent up year-on-year, driven by strong demand for memory chips used in AI data centers.
South Korean tech giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are major players in the global semiconductor market, supplying crucial components for the AI industry.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has made a commitment to triple spending on AI to elevate the country to one of the world’s top three AI powers.
Auto shipments also reached $72 billion, the highest on record despite US tariff pressures.
Other sectors like agriculture and cosmetics set new highs due to global interest in South Korea’s pop culture, food, and beauty products.
Exports to the United States and China dipped due to tariffs on goods, although the U.S. implemented a reduced 15 percent tariff compared to the initially proposed 25 percent.
Industry minister Kim Jung-kwan noted the export growth amid challenging conditions and stressed both resilience and future trade uncertainties for the year ahead.

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