Seoul, May 14 (QNA) - South Korea's exports of information and communication technology (ICT) products rose 125.9% year-on-year in April to $42.71 billion, exceeding $40 billion for the second consecutive month, supported by strong demand for AI-related semiconductors.

Data from Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) showed that this increase is the largest in percentage terms on an annual basis, and the second highest value for exports since data began being recorded.

In turn, the sector’s imports increased year-on-year by 33.3% to $16.16 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $26.55 billion.

The ministry said in a statement that ICT exports accounted for 49.7% of the country's total exports of $85.89 billion last month.

On the product side, semiconductor exports rose 173.3% to $31.9 billion, while exports of computers and peripherals jumped 430% to $4.26 billion, supported by demand for hard drives used in AI infrastructure.

Depending on the destination, exports to the US nearly quadrupled, while exports to China, including Hong Kong, increased by 132.1%, and to Vietnam by 89.3%. (QNA)