(MENAFN) South Korea’s information and communications technology (ICT) exports surged to their highest monthly level on record in September, buoyed by booming demand for semiconductors, according to official government figures released Tuesday.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy reported that ICT exports climbed 14.0% year-on-year, reaching $25.43 billion, marking the eighth consecutive month of growth since February.

Driving the record performance was a 21.9% spike in chip exports, which soared to $16.62 billion. Officials credited the sharp rise to robust global demand for advanced semiconductor components, particularly DDR5 and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, both critical to generative artificial intelligence (AI) applications.

Despite the strong performance in semiconductors, other segments saw mixed results. Display panel shipments edged up 1.3% to $1.92 billion, while mobile phone exports fell 10.7%, totaling $1.49 billion.

ICT imports also rose, up 10.4% to $13.78 billion, but South Korea maintained a strong trade surplus in the sector, posting a net gain of $11.65 billion.

The ministry said the September figures reflect how the country’s high-tech exports are "weathering global uncertainty" by capitalizing on the strategic demand for cutting-edge technologies.

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