Key facts
- South Korea's exports reached a record $102.25 billion in June.
- Semiconductor exports surged 199.5% to $44.8 billion, fueled by AI demand.
- Samsung and SK Hynix plan a $2.07 trillion investment to expand chip capacity.
- Qualcomm is developing new AI data center chips to compete with Nvidia.
South Korea's exports achieved a record high in June, surpassing $100 billion for the first time, with a year-on-year growth of 70.9%. This surge was predominantly driven by a 199.5% increase in semiconductor exports, which reached $44.8 billion, reflecting the intense global demand for AI-related components. Computer sales also saw a substantial rise of 308.8%. The country recorded a record monthly trade surplus of $36.15 billion. In response to the AI boom, major chip manufacturers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are planning a combined investment of $2.07 trillion to double the nation's memory chip output within five years. However, concerns exist among analysts regarding a potential oversupply if AI spending decelerates. Concurrently, Qualcomm is introducing new data center chips designed to challenge Nvidia's market leadership by utilizing low-power DRAM.