South Korea's Exports Jump 83.5 Percent in September to Top 120 Billion Dollars for the First Time

South Korea's exports jumped 83.5 percent year on year in September 2026 to a record $120.9 billion, surpassing the previous monthly high of $102.25 billion set in June, according to preliminary customs figures released Thursday, 9 Mehr 1405 (October 1, 2026) and reported by Al Jazeera. The surge was driven largely by explosive demand for chips used in artificial intelligence; chip shipments alone rose more than 260 percent to $60.3 billion, nearly half of total exports, according to the Korea Customs Service.

South Korea's cumulative exports for January through September reached $814.5 billion, already exceeding all of 2025's total of $709.7 billion. Trade and Industry Minister Kim Jeong kwan credited the achievement to the country's companies and entrepreneurs, while warning that rising global protectionism and tensions in West Asia remain major variables for future exports. Al Jazeera also reported that South Korea's benchmark Kospi stock index has risen nearly 60 percent this year.