Customs data released on Friday reveals that South Korea's export value during the first ten days of September climbed 83% from a year earlier to $35 billion, setting a fresh all-time high for this period, driven primarily by robust semiconductor shipments bolstered by the global artificial intelligence boom.

Imports during the same interval rose 20.7% year-on-year to $24.6 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $10.4 billion.

The semiconductor sector spearheaded the overall expansion, with exports jumping 270% year-on-year to $16.5 billion during the initial ten days of September, also marking a record high for this timeframe.

Petroleum product exports advanced 57% to $1.87 billion, while automobile shipments grew 10% to $1.7 billion. The report also indicated substantial increases in ship and steel product exports, which soared 66.8% and 10.3%, respectively.

By destination, shipments to China doubled to $7.95 billion, and those bound for the United States expanded by 137.5% to $7 billion. Cumulatively, South Korea's total exports this year have reached $728.5 billion, up 54.1% compared to the same period last year.