South Korea's exports rose 3.6% year-over-year in October to $59.57 billion, setting a new record for the month and marking the fifth consecutive month of growth.
The expansion was powered by two key sectors. Semiconductor exports surged 25.4% to $15.73 billion, also a record high for October, driven by strong demand for high-capacity, high-value memory chips. Ship exports skyrocketed 131.2% to $4.69 billion.
However, the trade picture showed clear divergence. Exports to the United States fell 16.2%, while shipments to China declined 5.1%. Automobile and steel exports also saw significant drops, partly attributed to the impact of U.S. tariffs. Despite this, a trade surplus of $6.06 billion was recorded for the month.
ICgoodFind : Semiconductors and ships remain South Korea's core export engines, with high-value industry growth likely to sustain trade resilience.
