South Korea's export volume maintains double-digit growth

South Korea’s export volume maintained double-digit growth in August 2026. According to the Bank of Korea (BOK), the export volume index surged 25.9 per cent in August compared with a year earlier, accelerating from a 20.1 per cent rise in the previous month.

The index has continued rising for 10 consecutive months since November 2025.

By volume, exports of computers, electronic devices and optical goods soared 30.5 per cent, driven by surging demand for memory chips and solid state drives (SSDs) used in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.

Supported by rising chip prices, the export value index jumped 75.8 per cent in August compared with the same month last year.

Meanwhile, the import volume index grew 12.0 per cent year-on-year in August, maintaining stable momentum after expanding 14.7 per cent in July, while the import value index also rose 23.1 per cent.

The increase in import volume was driven by semiconductors, computers and semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

The net terms of trade index for goods, or the ratio of export prices to import prices, rose 27.1 per cent year-on-year in August as export prices climbed faster than import prices.

The increase was the highest since the South Korean central bank began compiling the data in 1988.