South Korea’s ICT Exports Hit All-Time Growth Rate of 125.9% in April, Driven by AI Server Chip Demand

South Korea's information technology exports reached $42.71 billion in April 2026 — a 125.9% year-on-year increase and the highest growth rate ever recorded in the country's ICT export history — as global spending on AI server infrastructure sent demand for memory chips and solid-state drives to record levels, South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) and Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) announced Wednesday. Imports came to $16.16 billion, leaving a provisional trade surplus of $26.55 billion.

Samsung Warns Memory Gap Will Widen Further in 2027

The data lands two weeks after Samsung Electronics reported a record quarterly chip-division operating profit of 53.7 trillion won ($36.1 billion) for Q1 2026 — up 49% year-on-year — and its memory chief Kim Jaejune told analysts that the supply-demand gap for 2027 is set to widen further than in 2026. SK Hynix issued a similar warning the week before, with SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won suggesting AI-related memory demand pressure could persist toward 2030. The April trade figures confirm that, for now, the demand side of that equation is accelerating rather than easing.

For technology buyers, procurement officers, and enterprise IT teams, the numbers carry a direct cost implication: the same AI server buildout that is lifting South Korea's trade surplus is also the force behind server DRAM contract prices that Samsung and SK Hynix raised by 60–70% in Q1 2026 versus Q4 2025. Those increases are expected to flow through to data center operating costs and, eventually, consumer hardware pricing.

Semiconductor Shipments Cross $30 Billion for the Second Straight Month

Semiconductors accounted for $31.91 billion of April's total — up 173.3% year-on-year — the highest-ever April figure for any single export category, and the second consecutive month above the $30 billion threshold. The engine behind the gain is AI infrastructure investment: hyperscalers including Microsoft, Google, and Amazon Web Services have been flying procurement teams to South Korea to lock in DRAM supply as Samsung and SK Hynix redirect manufacturing capacity toward high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips for AI accelerators, tightening availability of standard server DRAM.

The two Korean chipmakers — alongside U.S.-based Micron Technology — control more than 90% of the global DRAM market. As of Q1 2025, SK Hynix led the global DRAM market with a 36% share, overtaking Samsung's 34% for the first time.

SSD Exports Exceed $4 Billion for the First Time as AI Storage Demand Explodes

Computers and peripherals — a category dominated by enterprise solid-state drives — posted $4.26 billion in April exports, a 430% year-on-year increase and an all-time monthly record. The figure reflects surging demand for SSD-based storage in AI servers, where each training or inference rack requires substantial fast-access storage alongside memory. April's result extends a trend that began accelerating in late 2024, when AI data center construction entered a capital-intensive expansion phase across the United States and East Asia.

Mobile Phones Sustain Growth; Displays Remain the Sole Category in Decline

Mobile phone exports reached $1.36 billion in April, up 14.0% year-on-year, supported by premium handset sales and high-value components including camera modules — a segment where Samsung's Galaxy S26 lineup drove revenue in the quarter.

Displays were the only major product category to register a decline, falling 5.3% to $1.44 billion. The shortfall reflects a familiar dynamic: rising semiconductor input costs are compressing display panel margins, while downstream consumer electronics brands are absorbing those costs rather than passing them on — softening panel reorder volumes.

U.S. Semiconductor Purchases from South Korea Surged 294% as AI Data Center Construction Accelerates

By destination, every major market posted record-breaking growth. The United States led all regions with a 294.2% jump in total ICT purchases, with semiconductor shipments to the U.S. alone surging 671.5% — a figure that reflects the scale of data center investment by U.S. hyperscalers. South Korea's first-quarter exports of $219.9 billion outpaced Japan's $188.5 billion, raising the prospect that South Korea could surpass Japan in annual export volume for the first time if semiconductor momentum holds through year-end.

China — South Korea's largest single export market, including Hong Kong — extended its growth streak to nine consecutive months with a 132.1% increase. Vietnam rose 89.3%, Taiwan 89.4%, and the European Union 58.4%, all driven primarily by semiconductor demand.

ICT Sector Now Accounts for Half of South Korea's Total Exports

ICT exports in April accounted for 49.7% of South Korea's total goods exports of $85.89 billion — nearly half the country's entire outbound trade in a single sector. South Korea's total exports exceeded $700 billion in 2025 for the first time, with semiconductor exports reaching $173.4 billion annually — up 22.2% — and setting monthly records for nine consecutive months beginning in April 2025. April 2026's 125.9% growth rate suggests the cycle has not yet peaked.

The trade balance — a provisional surplus of $26.55 billion in April — extended a run of surpluses above $20 billion to three consecutive months, a sequence with no precedent in South Korean export history. For context, South Korea's full-year ICT trade surplus in 2025 was $113.04 billion; April's single-month figure of $26.55 billion represents nearly a quarter of that annual total.