Korea's First-Half Exports Hit Records From Chips to Strawberries

South Korea closed the first half of 2026 with record export tallies spread across an unusually wide range of goods — from advanced semiconductors and biologic medicines to fresh strawberries and refined silver — pointing to a trade base that is broadening beyond its traditional heavy-industry core.

AI Demand Powers the ICT Surge

Information and communications technology remained the single largest driver. First-half ICT exports reached $253.86 billion, the highest half-year total on record, lifted by demand tied to artificial-intelligence infrastructure. The appetite for AI servers, high-bandwidth memory and related components has kept Korean chipmakers running near capacity, and that pull-through is now the clearest engine behind the country’s overall export momentum.

Biopharma Clears a New Threshold

The health sector delivered its own milestone. Biopharmaceutical exports came in at $4.5 billion for the first six months, a record for the category, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. The figure reflects the maturing of Korea’s biologics and contract-manufacturing business, which has moved from a niche growth story into a durable line item on the national trade ledger.

Food Exports Diversify, With Singapore on Top

Agricultural goods added a less expected contribution. Shipments of Korean fruit — strawberries, grapes and pears among them — set a first-half record, with Singapore ranking as the largest destination market. The result underscores how premium fresh produce, backed by cold-chain logistics and rising regional demand for Korean food brands, has become a small but fast-climbing export category rather than a purely domestic industry.

Ulsan’s Silver Trade Sets Its Own Mark

At the regional level, the industrial hub of Ulsan recorded $2.31 billion in silver exports over the half, a local high. The strength in refined-metals shipments illustrates how commodity-linked trade out of Korea’s manufacturing belt is compounding the gains seen in higher-profile technology and pharmaceutical lines.

Why the Breadth Matters

The common thread is diversification. A first half in which chips, medicines, fruit and refined metals all set records at once suggests Korea’s export recovery is not resting on a single product cycle. That breadth offers some insulation against a downturn in any one sector, though the concentration of headline growth in AI-linked ICT means the second-half trajectory will still hinge heavily on whether global demand for AI hardware holds.