SEOUL, Oct. 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korea''s exports of information and
communication technology (ICT) products rose for the 11th consecutive
month in September, driven by record sales of semiconductors, data
showed Monday.

Outbound shipments of ICT products came to US$22.4 billion last month,
up 24 percent from $18.04 billion a year earlier, according to data
compiled by the Ministry of Science and ICT.

The monthly tally marked the second highest since March 2022.

Imports of ICT products increased 15.9 percent on-year to $12.5 billion,
resulting in a trade surplus of $9.88 billion in the sector.

This file photo taken Sept. 30, 2024, shows a port in the southeastern
city of Busan. (Yonhap)
This file photo taken Sept. 30, 2024, shows a port in the southeastern
city of Busan. (Yonhap)

By item, chip exports jumped 36.3 percent on-year to record an all-time
high of $13.6 billion in September, posting a double-digit increase for
the 11th straight month, amid strong global chip demand for artificial
intelligence servers.

In particular, outbound shipments of memory chips shot up 60.7 percent
on-year to $8.7 billion as demand for high-value products, like high-
bandwidth memory chips, increased.

Overseas sales of mobile phones climbed 25.1 percent to $1.71 billion
thanks to the popularity of newly released smartphones, and exports of
computers and peripherals soared 104.8 percent to $1.64 billion on
robust demand for auxiliary storage devices.

But exports of displays and communications equipment dropped 5.1 percent
and 28.7 percent to $1.9 billion and $160 million, respectively.

By nation, combined shipments to China and Hong Kong advanced 22.6
percent on-year to $9.18 billion, logging a gain for the 11th
consecutive month as exports of chips and mobile phones increased.

Exports to the United States jumped 39.9 percent to $3.04 billion on
chips and computers, and exports to Vietnam expanded 8.7 percent to
$3.37 billion.

Outbound shipments to the European Union also rose 11.3 percent to $1.06
billion, and exports to Japan added 2.3 percent to $350 million.