South Korea’s chip production and shipments have recorded their largest increase in recent years this November, signaling a robust recovery trend in the country’s key industry and offering a positive outlook for both the national and global semiconductor markets. According to Bloomberg, data released by South Korea’s Statistics Office revealed a 42% year-on-year increase in chip production in November, the highest since early 2017, while shipments surged by 80%, marking the most significant jump since late 2002. Interestingly, inventory growth was at 36%, the smallest increase since February.
This substantial growth indicates a rebound from the more than year-long downturn experienced by South Korea’s crucial economic sectors, particularly uplifting for leading chip manufacturers Samsung and SK Hynix. The data also reflects a strengthening recovery in global technology demand, reinforcing industry trends.
South Korea’s economy, heavily reliant on trade, faced challenges in 2023 due to suppressed semiconductor demand. However, the recent rebound in memory chip prices, coupled with the growing demand from emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), has led to a resurgence in exports, strengthening since October.
The latest figures also demonstrated that the strong performance of chip manufacturers contributed significantly to the national industrial production, which rose to an annualized rate of 5.3% in November, surpassing expectations. The South Korean Finance Ministry acknowledged this trend in a statement, highlighting the role of high-performance semiconductors in boosting the chip sector and related machinery and equipment industries.
This resurgence in South Korea’s semiconductor industry is not only a boon for its economy but also a positive sign for the global technology and semiconductor sectors, indicating potential growth and stability in these markets.
