Korea's semiconductor export boom, driven by global demand for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, is expected to give private consumption a more meaningful boost starting next year, a central bank report showed Thursday. "Recently, the Korean economy has seen a significant acceleration in growth, driven by the strong semiconductor market, but the pace of growth in private consumption remains relatively modest," a report published by the Bank of Korea (BOK) said. Asia's fourth-largest economy grew 3.8 percent in the first half from a year earlier, while private consumption expanded 2.6 percent over the same period. The economic growth was supported by robust exports, led by strong semiconductor shipments. In September alone, exports soared 83.5 percent on-year to a record $120.9 billion, while semiconductor exports surged 263 percent to an all-time high of $60.3 billion. The BOK report said private consumption has continued to recover since hitting a low in the first quarter of 2025, with the strength and sustainability of the recovery depending on how broadly the benefits of the