Seoul: South Korea's exports have witnessed a substantial increase of 14.9 percent in the first 20 days of January compared to the same period last year, fueled by a robust demand for semiconductors, as indicated by recent data.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Korea Customs Service reported that outbound shipments amounted to US$36.36 billion from January 1-20, up from $31.63 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year. Imports also saw a rise of 4.2 percent year-on-year, totaling $36.98 billion, which resulted in a trade deficit of $600 million.

The daily average volume of exports mirrored the overall growth with a 14.9 percent increase year-on-year, facilitated by an unchanged number of working days at 14.5 days from the previous year. A significant surge was noted in the semiconductor sector, with exports soaring 70.2 percent to $10.73 billion, accounting for 29.5 percent of the nation's total exports during the period, marking a 9.6 percentage point rise from last year.

In addition to semiconductors, exports of petroleum products increased by 17.6 percent to $2.46 billion, while steel exports showed a modest rise of 1.2 percent to $2.4 billion. However, the automobile sector experienced a decline in exports, dropping 10.8 percent to $2.87 billion, and shipments of vessels fell by 18.1 percent to $1.33 billion.

Geographically, exports to China, South Korea's largest trading partner, surged by 30.2 percent year-on-year to $8.45 billion. Exports to the United States also rose by 19.3 percent to $6.66 billion, despite ongoing tariff policies under U.S. President Donald Trump's administration.

The data also revealed that in December, exports had expanded by 13.4 percent year-on-year to $69.6 billion, driven by strong semiconductor demand, marking the 11th consecutive month of increased exports. For the year 2025, outbound shipments reached a record high of $709.7 billion.