SEOUL, July 18 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's exports of information and communications technology (ICT) product hit a record high in the first half due to robust demand for locally-made semiconductors, a government report showed Wednesday.
The ICT export reached 107.47 billion U.S. dollars in the January-June period, up 18.3 percent from the same period of last year, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. It was the biggest first-half figure in history.
Imports in the ICT sector gained 7.6 percent over the year to 52.24 billion dollars in the first half, sending the trade surplus of the industry to 55.23 billion dollars.
The ICT trade surplus surpassed the surplus of 32.52 billion dollars in all industries for the first half.
The monthly figure kept a double-digit increase. The ICT exports advanced 20.4 percent from a year earlier to 19.13 billion dollars in June, marking the second-largest monthly amount in history.
Semiconductor export jumped 37.5 percent over the year to 11.25 billion dollars in June, posting the biggest figure. The chip exports continued to rise for 21 months in a row.
Mobile phone shipment grew 3.5 percent to 1.29 billion dollars, while exports for computers and peripherals soared 47.2 percent to 1.18 billion dollars.
Display panel exports declined 8.5 percent to 2.16 billion dollars amid stiffer competition.
ICT exports to China, South Korea's biggest trading partner, reached a new monthly high of 10.88 billion dollars.
Exports of ICT products to the United States advanced 38.2 percent to 1.91 billion dollars, but those to Vietnam fell 11.9 percent to 1.88 billion dollars.
ICT imports in June was 8.62 billion dollars, sending the June trade surplus in the ICT sector to 10.51 billion dollars.
