SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA / MENA Newswire / — South Korea’s information and communication technology exports rose 125.9% from a year earlier to $42.71 billion in April, extending a semiconductor-led surge and marking the second consecutive month the sector has remained above $40 billion. Data released on May 14 by the Ministry of Science and ICT showed April produced the steepest annual increase on record for ICT exports and the second-highest monthly total by value, following March’s record $43.51 billion as global demand for AI-linked hardware stayed strong.
Imports of ICT products increased 33.3% to $16.16 billion in April, leaving a trade surplus of $26.55 billion. The ministry’s figures showed ICT goods made up 49.7% of South Korea’s total exports of $85.89 billion for the month, underscoring the sector’s central role in the country’s trade performance. Separate April trade data released earlier by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy showed South Korea’s overall exports also rose sharply, supported largely by technology shipments and a jump in semiconductor sales.
Semiconductors remained the dominant driver. Chip exports climbed 173.3% from a year earlier to $31.91 billion, topping $30 billion for a second straight month as demand for memory products remained elevated amid continued investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure. Computers and peripherals also surged, rising 430.0% to $4.26 billion, helped by solid-state drive demand tied to servers and data centers. Mobile phone exports rose 14.0% to $1.36 billion, while telecommunications equipment exports increased 9.9% to $220 million. Display exports were the main weak spot, falling 5.3% to $1.44 billion.
Semiconductors anchor trade surplus
April’s figures kept intact a run of uninterrupted ICT export growth that has stretched to 15 consecutive months since February 2025. The trade surplus in the sector has now exceeded $20 billion for three straight months, reflecting how high-value technology shipments are offsetting softer performance in other export categories. The April ICT surplus of $26.55 billion followed strong readings in February and March and reinforced the concentration of export gains in chips, storage products and related hardware used across the AI supply chain.
By market, overseas demand was strongest in the United States and China. Exports to the United States rose 294.2% from a year earlier to $7.90 billion, while shipments to China, including Hong Kong, increased 132.1% to $16.77 billion. Exports also rose to Vietnam, Taiwan, India, the European Union and Japan, according to ministry data. Semiconductor exports accounted for the largest share of shipments to both the United States and China, with phones and computers also contributing to the increase in U.S. demand.
Broader export momentum continues
The April ICT data align with South Korea’s wider export rebound, which has been driven by global spending on servers, memory chips and related technology infrastructure. National exports rose 48.0% from a year earlier in April, the country’s second-highest monthly export total on record, while semiconductor shipments across all sectors reached $31.90 billion. The overlap between the broader trade report and the ICT breakdown highlighted how deeply the semiconductor cycle is shaping South Korea’s export profile and lifting the value of outbound tech shipments.
For policymakers, the latest figures offered further evidence that chip and data-storage products are carrying the country’s external sector even as some other categories remain uneven. The Ministry of Science and ICT said the April results were led by strong overseas demand for products linked to the artificial intelligence ecosystem, while the month’s export mix showed gains across semiconductors, computers, phones and communications equipment. With April following a record March, South Korea’s ICT sector entered the second quarter near historic highs in value and with its largest annual increase on record.
