S. Korea's exports for 2025 poised to surpass US$700 bln for 1st time on chip, auto shipments
South Korea's yearly exports are expected to hit a record high in 2025 on the back of strong performance by key export items, such as semiconductors, automobiles and ships, the industry ministry said Thursday, Yonhap reports.
From January to November, outbound shipments reached an all-time high of US$640.2 billion for the period, compared with a previous record of $628.7 billion posted in 2022, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources said.
According to the ministry, annual exports for 2025 are poised to surpass the $700 billion mark for the first time. The data was released on the occasion of the country's 62nd Trade Day.
The ministry said major export items, including semiconductors, automobiles, ships and bio-health products, led the country's exports this year, along with the robust performance by food and beauty products amid the soaring global popularity of Korean culture.
This year, Seoul also diversified its export markets, expanding shipments to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the European Union and other regions, beyond its previous concentration on the United States and China, the ministry added.
Exports by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) also hit a record $87.1 billion in the first 11 months of this year.
"This year's achievements are the result of our industrial competitiveness combined with our strong will to export, and they embody the resilience and strength of our economy," Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan said.
"Moving forward, we will build on this record-breaking performance to open new paths for Korea's trade through industrial innovation and K-culture," he added, vowing efforts to spread the positive momentum to SMEs and local communities.
In the ceremony marking the 62nd anniversary of Trade Day, major chipmaker SK hynix Inc. received the highest award given to companies that export more than $35 billion.
Logistics firm Hyundai Glovis Co. also received an award for achieving an accumulated $6 billion worth of exports, and shipbuilder HD Hyundai Co. an award for an accumulated $4 billion worth of exports, according to the ministry.
It should be noted, S. Korean electric equipment exports hit record high in 2025 on AI demand.
