In August, South Korea’s export volume soared to US$98.25 billion, marking a significant year-on-year (YoY) increase of 68.7%. Meanwhile, the import volume climbed to US$63.51 billion, up by 22.6% YoY, culminating in a trade surplus of US$34.75 billion. Notably, semiconductor exports witnessed an extraordinary surge, skyrocketing by 209% YoY to reach US$46.65 billion. This remarkable growth was primarily driven by a robust surge in demand for AI infrastructure investment, with semiconductor exports exceeding the US$40 billion mark for three consecutive months. Additionally, exports of petroleum and petrochemical products also experienced an uptick. However, automobile exports faced a downturn, declining by 29.8% YoY to US$3.85 billion, a decrease attributed to fewer working days and the repercussions of strikes. In terms of export destinations, exports to China and the United States saw substantial increases of 119.3% and 89.3%, respectively, largely benefiting from the stellar performance of products such as semiconductors.