Investigation: South Korea's export growth rate in June is expected to be the fastest in nearly 50 years, benefiting from strong sales of chips.

A survey released by Reuters on Monday showed that South Korea's June exports increased at the fastest pace in nearly fifty years, driven by the global artificial intelligence investment frenzy that pushed semiconductor shipments to a record high. The median estimate from 13 economists surveyed by Reuters showed that South Korea's June exports are expected to increase by 61.0% year-on-year. This would exceed the 53.4% growth in May and mark the fastest rate of increase since October 1978. South Korea's exports have been continuously growing since June 2025, and the growth rate has accelerated to double digits since December. Export growth is mainly due to chip manufacturers like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, whose chip prices have risen due to the global AI investment frenzy.