The K-pop boy band RIIZE on Jan. 4 introduces Samsung TV's unique artificial intelligence (AI) platform Vision AI Companion at the Samsung Electronics pavilion of CES, the world's largest exhibition of consumer electronics and information and communications technology, in Las Vegas. (Samsung Electronics)

By Charles Audouin

Information and communications technology (ICT) exports last year set a record high and grew for 11 straight months.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources and the Ministry of Science and ICT on Jan. 14 said such shipments last year reached USD 264.29 billion, up 12.4% from 2024 to set a new high. Imports last year rose for the second consecutive year to USD 151.25 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of USD 113.04 billion in the sector.

The rapid increase in the construction of AI data centers worldwide were seen to cause surging demand for semiconductors and solid state drives for servers.

Exports of semiconductors reached USD 173.48 billion, up 22.1% and a record high, thanks mainly to higher demand for memory chips like high bandwidth memory (HBM) and rising prices of general-purpose semiconductors such as DRAMs.

Overseas shipments of telecommunications equipment returned to growth for the first time in three years at USD 2.39 billion. This was thanks to double-digit growth in exports to the U.S. for the second straight year, construction of 5G base stations in India and rising demand for battlefield telecommunications equipment in Mexico.

By region, ICT exports to Taiwan jumped 64.8%, the highest for a market, followed by those to Vietnam (14.5%), the European Union (10.2%) and U.S. (9.8%). ICT exports to China, however, dipped 0.9%.

Such shipments to the U.S. reached an all-time high of USD 32.54 billion thanks to export growth in semiconductors (28.4%) and mobile phones (156.3%).

December last year also marked the first month in history for ICT exports to break the USD 30 billion mark, as they rose 32.4% year on year.

caudouin@korea.kr