South Korea just posted its strongest export growth in nearly five decades. June 2026 exports jumped 70.9% year-over-year to $102.25 billion, marking the fastest annual growth rate since October 1978 and the first time the country has crossed the $100 billion threshold in a single month.
The engine behind this historic number is exactly what you’d expect: semiconductors. And more specifically, the insatiable global appetite for AI chips.
The chip numbers are staggering
Semiconductor exports alone hit $44.8 billion in June, a 199.5% year-over-year increase. That means chips accounted for roughly 44% of all South Korean exports last month.
This wasn’t a one-month anomaly, either. May 2026 semiconductor exports grew 169.4% to $37.16 billion. The trend has been building for months, with double-digit export growth starting back in December 2025.
