Seoul: The number of first-time exporters in South Korea rose by nearly 4 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year, according to newly released data. The Korea Customs Service reported that a total of 19,746 businesses with no export records in the past three years entered the export market, up from 19,041 in 2024.

According to Yonhap News Agency, this increase marks the largest year-on-year growth in the past five years, injecting new energy into the nation's export sector. The combined exports of these first-time exporters surged by 13.2 percent from the previous year, reaching $6.9 billion, the highest level since 2019.

The Korea Customs Service highlighted that machinery and computers were the leading product categories, representing 10.9 percent of the first-time exporters. Electrical products followed at 8.5 percent, with cosmetics accounting for 7 percent. On average, each company exported goods worth $350,000, although 80 percent of these new exporters had exports valued below $100,000.