A Record Month

Korea's exports in May reached a record of roughly $87.7 billion, up about 53% from a year earlier — the fastest pace of growth in more than four decades — with a trade surplus near $27 billion. The engine was semiconductors, where soaring demand and rising prices turned a recovering sector into the country's clearest growth story.

The Memory Super-Cycle

Memory prices have climbed steeply through the year, with some legacy DRAM reportedly multiples higher than a year ago as AI demand absorbs supply. On the strength of that cycle, analysts now project that Samsung could reclaim its position as the world's largest semiconductor maker, with revenue approaching $200 billion — a title it last traded with rivals before the AI era reshaped the market.

Markets at Records

The optimism spilled into equities. The KOSPI set fresh all-time highs, the index's total market value topped 7,000 trillion won, and Samsung alone crossed 2,000 trillion won. Korea's nominal GDP growth reached its highest level in roughly half a century. Analysts caution that a calendar full of major events points to continued volatility through the month — but the underlying signal is a country whose export base is, for now, firing on its strongest cylinder.