--- title: "Record High! South Korea's Chip Exports Hit $37.2 Billion in May" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/288236504.md" description: "AI chip demand ignites a surge in South Korean exports: May export value soared 53.2% year-on-year to $87.5 billion, marking the fastest growth since 1984. Monthly chip exports exceeded $37 billion for the first time, nearly tripling year-on-year, and remained above the $30 billion mark for three consecutive months. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are reaping the benefits of AI infrastructure investment, with analysts expecting this strong momentum to continue throughout the year" datetime: "2026-06-01T08:11:39.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/288236504.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/288236504.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/288236504.md) --- # Record High! South Korea's Chip Exports Hit $37.2 Billion in May Chip demand driven by artificial intelligence is pushing South Korean exports to unprecedented heights. The latest data shows that South Korea's exports surged 53.2% year-on-year to $87.5 billion in May this year, recording the fastest growth rate since January 1984 and setting a new historical record for monthly total exports. Among them, chip exports exceeded $37 billion for the first time in a single month, nearly tripling year-on-year, and remaining above $30 billion for the third consecutive month. These figures indicate that despite ongoing tensions in the Middle East and rising commodity costs, global investment demand for AI infrastructure remains robust, supporting South Korea's structural advantage as a core global supplier of memory chips, which is unlikely to be shaken in the short term. ## Export Data Beats Expectations Across the Board Data from South Korea's Ministry of Trade on Monday showed that exports grew by 53.2% year-on-year in May, not only higher than the 48% growth in April but also exceeding the median market expectation of 50.8%. On the import side, imports increased by 20.8% year-on-year to $60.8 billion in May, expanding the trade surplus to $26.95 billion, higher than the revised $23.76 billion in the previous month. Exports of chips and related products reached $37.16 billion in May, hitting a new monthly historical high and nearly tripling year-on-year. Since first breaking the $30 billion threshold in March this year, this marks the third consecutive month that South Korea's chip exports have remained above this level. During the same period, computer exports increased by nearly four times year-on-year, with the technology sector showing strong overall performance. As top global memory chip manufacturers, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix continue to benefit from the wave of AI infrastructure construction. ## Non-Tech Industries Under Pressure, Middle East Risks Emerge While chips and computers are surging, other South Korean export industries are lagging significantly. Auto exports fell by 5.9% year-on-year in May, and steel exports dropped by 2.1%, reflecting that high raw material costs, supply constraints, and logistics challenges triggered by conflicts in the Middle East are dragging down traditional manufacturing. The divergence in export destinations is also evident. Exports to the Middle East declined by 7.7% year-on-year, while exports to the United States and China grew substantially by 59.1% and 80.9% respectively, indicating that the main sources of demand for AI-related supply chains remain concentrated in these two major economies. According to The Wall Street Journal, even though the conflict involving Iran has pushed up prices for fuel and key raw materials needed for high-tech production, most analysts still expect South Korea's chip-centric export growth to persist throughout the year, reasoning that AI-driven demand is sufficient to withstand cost pressures. This round of data once again emphasizes that there are no signs of weakening in the structural demand for memory chips driven by the global AI construction cycle, and semiconductors will remain the primary engine of South Korea's exports in the short term. ### Related Stocks - [SMSN.UK](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SMSN.UK.md) - [SSNGY.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SSNGY.US.md) - [07709.HK](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/07709.HK.md) - [09747.HK](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/09747.HK.md) - [07747.HK](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/07747.HK.md) ## Related News & Research - [South Korea's chip exports surge as AI boom fuels record growth](https://longbridge.com/en/news/288060675.md) - [SK Hynix Evacuates Thousands Of Workers At Chip Plant After Fire, Toxic Gas Leak](https://longbridge.com/en/news/288263185.md) - [SK Hynix joins $1T club as AI chip demand soars](https://longbridge.com/en/news/287825947.md) - [KOSPI Index at a crossroads: Can South Korea's bull run reach 10,000?](https://longbridge.com/en/news/288163246.md) - [BREAKINGVIEWS-Europe's chip programme could do with a reset](https://longbridge.com/en/news/288261086.md)