AI-fueled chip demand lifts South Korea exports 44% in early February
South Korea’s exports jumped 44.4% year‑over‑year in the first 10 days of February to $21.4 billion, driven mainly by a surge in semiconductor shipments tied to global AI and large language model deployment. Semiconductor exports reached a record $6.7 billion in that period, up 137.6% year‑on‑year and accounting for 31.5% of exports (a 12.3 percentage‑point rise). Petroleum products and wireless devices also rose (40.1% and 27.9%), while passenger car and ship exports fell 2.6% and 29% respectively. Exports to major partners climbed broadly (U.S. +38.5%, China +54.1%, Vietnam +38.1%, India +35.1%, Japan +31.1%, Malaysia +136.1%). The trade balance showed a $644 million surplus for the period, with a cumulative surplus above $9 billion year‑to‑date. January data previously showed record monthly exports of $66 billion and a 10th consecutive month of record chip shipments ($20.5 billion). Policymakers are responding to AI growth: South Korea enacted an AI Basic Act addressing AI safety, deepfakes and related risks. Traders should note the concentration of export gains in semiconductors amid the AI boom, the potential short‑term distortion from Lunar New Year working‑day differences, and the broader positive demand signal for Korean chipmakers and suppliers.
Bullish
The report is bullish for crypto traders insofar as it signals stronger demand for advanced semiconductors driven by AI — a structural tailwind for companies supplying GPUs, AI accelerators and data‑center infrastructure. Historically, major increases in chip demand (e.g., GPU booms) have lifted equities and hardware tokenization projects tied to mining/compute, and supported investor risk appetite across tech and crypto sectors. Short term, markets may see continued positive sentiment for firms exposed to AI chip production and for tokens/projects linked to AI compute marketplaces, but volatility could arise from calendar effects (fewer working days in February) and profit‑taking after strong gains. Long term, sustained semiconductor demand improves fundamentals for hardware suppliers, cloud GPU providers and related Web3 projects that rely on high compute — a constructive backdrop for investment in infrastructure tokens, staking of compute resources, and tokenized asset platforms. Caveats: the direct impact on mainstream cryptocurrencies like BTC/ETH is indirect; macro liquidity, interest‑rate moves, or regulatory shifts remain dominant drivers.