South Korea Semiconductor Export Revenue Surges 173.5% as Volume Drops

South Korean semiconductor exports show a sharp divergence between physical volume and revenue. Export volume dropped by 11.9 percent year-over-year in April, while export value surged to $31.895 billion, an increase of 173.5 percent over the same period last year.

Memory products account for approximately 75 percent of total exports.

Memory products account for approximately 75 percent of total exports. DRAM and NAND values rose sharply during this period. May DRAM export value reached $18.6 billion, a jump of 369.8 percent compared to the previous year.

• April Semiconductor Export Volume: 3,242 tons (down 11.9% YoY)
• April Semiconductor Export Value: $31.895 billion (up 173.5% YoY)
• May DRAM Export Value: $18.6 billion (up 369.8% YoY)
• June 1-10 Export Value: $28.6 billion (up 85.9% YoY, record high)
• Unit Weight Export Value Increase: 3.1x increase year-over-year for server DRAM/HBM

The first ten days of June set a new record for monthly export value at $28.6 billion. This figure represents an 85.9 percent increase from last year. Manufacturers shifted production toward higher-margin products like high-bandwidth memory and DDR5 server chips, which drove this revenue growth despite lower physical output.

Unit weight export value for server DRAM and HBM increased by a factor of 3.1 compared to the previous year. The fixed transaction price for DDR5 16Gb DRAM rose to $42 per unit, up from $6 a year ago. The sevenfold price rise is driven by robust demand for advanced memory chips in artificial intelligence and server applications.

Industry analysts expect high-bandwidth memory wafer allocation to reach approximately 18 percent of total DRAM wafer input by the end of 2025. The share is projected to grow to roughly 22 percent by late 2026 and 30 percent by late 2027. This shift will continue to reduce overall export volume while boosting revenue.

South Korean semiconductor exports recorded a record $28.6 billion in the first ten days of June, driven by high-margin memory chips. The industry continues to prioritize advanced products like HBM and DDR5 over standard units.