Exports this year as of Sept. 5 reached USD 709.4 billion, surpassing the annual record set in 2025. Shown are containers piled high and ready for shipping at Pier 3 of Busan New Port. (Busan Port Authority)

By Uyen Nguyen

Exports early this month surpassed last year's annual figure, with the historic milestone of USD 1 trillion in one year within reach.

The Korea Customs Service and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources on Sept. 6 said exports hit USD 709.4 billion as of 1 p.m. the day before, breaking the figure for all of last year in just 248 days.

Exports have remained strong this year thanks to semiconductors. Through August, exports have set records every month, with the amount in June breaking USD 100 billion in a month for the first time.

Semiconductor exports in the first eight months this year reached USD 281.2 billion, some 2.7 times the figure year on year and accounting for 40.6% of all exports.

Other major export items seeing robust growth over the period included computer peripherals (262.2%), petroleum products (40.7%), wireless communication devices (28.1%) and ships (12.4%).

By market, exports to China jumped 76.1% to USD 145.3 billion, those to the U.S. 57% to USD 127.4 billion and those to Vietnam 57.7% to USD 63.2 billion.

At this pace, Korea could be just the world's fourth country to achieve USD 1 trillion in annual exports, following the U.S., China and Germany.

uyen81@korea.kr