SEOUL, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's exports of information and communications technology (ICT) products hit a record high, driven by an unprecedented global boom in artificial intelligence (AI), government data showed Wednesday.
The ICT product shipments skyrocketed 195.8 percent from a year earlier to 75.15 billion U.S. dollars in September, topping 70 billion dollars for the first time in history, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources.
The milestone surpassed the previous record of 59.98 billion dollars set just a month earlier in August, keeping an upward trajectory for 20 consecutive months since February 2025.
The ICT sector served as the primary driver of the country's export growth, accounting for 62.1 percent of South Korea's total exports last month.
Semiconductor exports spiked 262.8 percent to reach an all-time high of 60.33 billion dollars, marking a triple-digit increase for nine straight months.
The historic performance was propelled by expanding global AI infrastructure investments that led to higher demand and soaring prices for memory chips used in AI chipsets.
Display panel shipments shrank 11.5 percent to 1.70 billion dollars amid adjustments in release schedules for some smartphone models, but mobile phone exports jumped 28.2 percent to 1.90 billion dollars thanks to strong demand for premium models alongside rising exports of parts such as camera modules.
Shipments for computers and peripherals surged 393.0 percent to 7.16 billion dollars, fueled by robust demand for solid-state drives, while communications equipment exports fell 2.3 percent to 220 million dollars.
The country's imports of ICT products soared 55.3 percent over the year to 21.43 billion dollars in September, sending the trade surplus in the ICT industry to 53.71 billion dollars.
The ICT trade surplus exceeded 50 billion dollars for the first time in history. ■