Containers are stacked at a port in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, May 8. Yonhap
The top five companies, including Samsung Electronics and SK hynix , accounted for around 44 percent of Korea's total exports in the first quarter, data showed Sunday, amid soaring global demand for memory chips driven by the artificial intelligence (AI) boom.
According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics, the five exporters posted combined outbound shipments of $95.7 billion, or 43.5 percent of the country's total exports of $219.9 billion, in the January-March period.
The ratio marked a 14.8 percentage point jump from 28.7 percent recorded in the same period of 2025, reflecting Korea's growing dependence on major tech firms for exports.
The top five companies saw their exports increase by $50 billion on-year in the first quarter, accounting for 82.8 percent of the country's total export growth during the period, the data showed.
Experts said Korea's recent export gains were driven by the AI boom rather than a broader recovery in the global economy, noting the disparity may deepen further down the road.
"The global economy is only enjoying prosperity within the AI industry's value chain," said Kim Kwang-seok, head of economic research at the Institute for Korean Economy and Industry.
"While major Korean firms are seeking opportunities within the AI value chain, businesses in traditional industries are facing challenges," Kim said.
Source: Korea Times News
