South Korea’s information and communications technology (ICT) exports reached 59.98 billion USD in August this year, approaching the 60 billion mark and surpassing the previous all-time high. The trade surplus stood at 41.37 billion USD, crossing the 40 billion threshold for the first time on record.
 [코리안투데이] Announcement of the August 2026 information and communications technology (ICT) trade trends © 장형임 기자 |
The Ministry of Science and ICT (led by Bae Kyung-hoon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT) and the Ministry of Trade and Industry (Minister Kim Jung-kwan) announced these figures on September 14 as part of the August ICT trade trends report.
August ICT exports amounted to 59.98 billion USD, up 162.6% from 22.84 billion USD in the same month last year. Imports rose 48.8% to 18.61 billion USD from 12.51 billion USD a year earlier, producing a trade surplus of 41.37 billion USD. This exceeded the 39.08 billion USD posted in June to mark a record high, and it was the first time the ICT trade surplus had surpassed 40 billion USD.
Buoyed by expanding global investment in artificial intelligence (AI), ICT exports stayed above 50 billion USD for three consecutive months. Following 57.28 billion USD in June and 53.36 billion USD in July, August climbed to the best monthly performance on record. Notably, August ICT exports accounted for 61.0% of the nation’s total exports (98.25 billion USD), breaking through the 60% level for the first time. This underscores how ICT items, including semiconductors, are effectively driving the country’s exports.
By item, semiconductors (up 209.0%), mobile phones (up 23.2%), computers and peripherals (up 383.1%), and communications equipment (up 11.5%) all increased, while displays (down 7.0%) declined. Semiconductors, the largest category, reached 46.67 billion USD. Steady demand for AI infrastructure amid expanded capital spending by global big tech firms, combined with rising fixed transaction prices driven by excess memory demand, pushed the figure to a new monthly high. Semiconductor exports have now posted growth rates of over 100% for eight straight months.
Computers and peripherals surged 383.1% to 6.40 billion USD, setting a record. The main factor was a 479.5% jump in exports of enterprise SSDs to 5.98 billion USD, driven by the growth in AI data processing. Mobile phones reached 1.64 billion USD, lifted by stronger sales of high-value premium new models and increased exports of components to overseas production bases. Displays, by contrast, fell to 1.69 billion USD as mounting pressure to lower prices for OLED panels used in finished products weighed on exports.
By region, exports rose broadly across major markets, including the United States (up 306.5%), China (including Hong Kong, up 227.9%), India (up 126.7%), Vietnam (up 81.4%), Japan (up 72.4%), Taiwan (up 54.3%), and the European Union (up 49.1%). China (including Hong Kong), the largest export destination, reached 27.32 billion USD, rising for 13 consecutive months, while the United States sustained strong growth at 9.46 billion USD amid brisk exports of semiconductors and SSDs.
August ICT imports rose to 18.61 billion USD, driven by gains in key items such as semiconductors (up 71.4%), mobile phones (up 79.4%), and computers and peripherals (up 39.9%). By region, imports from Taiwan (up 63.8%), Japan (up 41.0%), and Vietnam (up 29.8%) increased, while those from China (including Hong Kong, down 10.2%) declined.
These results reflect how the global spread of the AI industry is translating directly into domestic demand for semiconductors and storage devices, and they are expected to have a direct bearing on the growth momentum of Korea’s export-reliant economy, employment, and the vitality of related industries as a whole. However, an export structure concentrated in specific items such as semiconductors could be vulnerable to future price swings, leaving diversification of items and markets as a task ahead. Detailed statistics are available on the ICT Statistics Portal (www.itstat.go.kr) and the Korean Statistical Information Service (kosis.kr). Inquiries can be directed to the Information and Communications Industry Policy Division of the Ministry of Science and ICT (044-202-6220, 044-202-6214).
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