South Korea’s exports reached a record high last year, surpassing 700 billion U.S. dollars for the first time despite adverse conditions such as U.S. tariffs.

According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources on Thursday, total exports for the year increased three-point-eight percent from the previous year to 709-point-seven billion dollars, surpassing the previous all-time high set in 2024.

With the milestone, South Korea became the world’s sixth country to exceed 700 billion dollars in annual exports, seven years after first reaching the 600 billion dollar mark.

The surge was driven largely by booming semiconductor shipments, which climbed to a record 173-point-four billion dollars on the back of the global artificial intelligence boom.

Automobile exports reached a record high of 72 billion dollars, up one-point-seven percent from a year earlier.

Imports edged down zero-point-02 percent in 2025 from a year earlier to 631-point-seven billion dollars, resulting in a trade surplus of 78 billion dollars for the year.