On May 1, reports indicated that propelled by a significant uptick in semiconductor shipments, South Korea's exports maintained robust growth in April. This performance underscores the resilience of the country's trade-reliant economy, even amidst looming risks from Middle East conflicts. The soaring global demand from tech firms for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure construction has emerged as the key catalyst for the sharp rise in semiconductor exports, which constitute roughly one-fourth of South Korea's total exports. This trend underscores the constructive impact of AI-related demand in bolstering high-tech economies against external volatilities.

In the first quarter, memory chip behemoths such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix witnessed their profit margins soar to unprecedented levels. Despite escalating input costs stemming from the Iran conflict, these companies are projected to continue shattering profit records throughout the year.

Data released by South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Friday revealed that April's exports surged by 48.0% year-on-year, reaching USD 85.89 billion, following a revised 49.2% increase in March. Imports, meanwhile, climbed by 16.7% year-on-year to USD 62.11 billion, culminating in a trade surplus of USD 23.77 billion. The robust shipments of memory chips acted as the primary driver for export growth, effectively counterbalancing the sluggish performance in other sectors, such as automobiles and steel.