Seoul: South Korea's exports of electric equipment reached a record high this year, driven by strong demand from artificial intelligence (AI)-based industries, government data showed Tuesday. Outbound shipments of electric equipment, such as power cables and transformers, reached US$7.13 billion in the January-November period, up 11.3 percent from the same period a year earlier, according to data from the Korea Customs Service (KCS).

According to Yonhap News Agency, the demand for large-scale data centers, which consume massive amounts of electricity, has continued to grow since the emergence of ChatGPT in 2022. This demand has pushed exports higher, setting new annual records. Electric equipment exports have been on a steady upward trend for four consecutive years, rising from $4.54 billion in 2021.

The United States, home to the world's largest number of data centers, was the biggest export destination this year, accounting for $2.65 billion, or 37.2 percent of total shipments, the agency said. China followed with 10.9 percent, and Vietnam with 7.5 percent.