South Korea’s exports hit record high on AI boom

South Korea’s exports have surged to a monthly record amid explosive demand for chips used to power artificial intelligence. Exports jumped 83.5 percent year-on-year to $120.9bn in September, eclipsing the previous monthly record of $102.25bn set in June, preliminary customs figures showed on Thursday. Chip shipments accounted for nearly half of exports, soaring more than 260 percent to $60.3bn, according to data from the Korea Customs Service. Total exports from January through September hit $814.5bn, exceeding those for all of 2025, when exports reached a record $709.7bn. During the first nine months of the year, the country recorded a trade surplus of $49.85bn.