SEOUL, July 15 (Xinhua) — South Korea’s export of information and communications technology (ICT) products rose in double digits in the first half of this year, government data showed Monday.
The ICT products shipment soared 28.2 percent from a year earlier to 108.85 billion U.S. dollars in the January-June period, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
Semiconductor export jumped 49.9 percent to 65.83 billion dollars in the cited six-month period on the back of the rapid growth in artificial intelligence.
Display panel shipment expanded 14.6 percent to 10.1 billion dollars on solid demand for panels used for TVs and computers, but mobile phone export decreased 2.8 percent to 5.58 billion dollars.
Shipment for computers and peripherals spiked 35.6 percent to 5.99 billion dollars, but communications equipment export declined 2.9 percent to 1.19 billion dollars.
Import for ICT products shrank 0.7 percent over the year to 67.78 billion dollars in the first half, sending the trade surplus in the ICT industry to 41.07 billion dollars.
Import for chips and display panels increased in the six-month period, but those for computers and mobile devices fell in single figures.
