According to South Korea's Statistics Bureau, the country's semiconductor inventory in August decreased at its fastest pace since 2009, indicating a sustained demand for high-performance memory chips used in AI development.
The data shows a 42.6% year-over-year drop in inventory, surpassing the 34.3% decline reported in July. Production and shipments increased by 10.3% and 16.1%, respectively, suggesting that the boom cycle persisted through much of the third quarter.
These latest figures support the view that the chip surge, which drives South Korea's trade-dependent economy, may still have room to grow this year. Memory chips are a significant driver of South Korea’s economy, with Samsung Electronics (SSNLF, Financial) and SK Hynix among the top performers.
South Korea is slated to release its export data for September, including semiconductor shipments, on Tuesday. Since May, chip export growth has been slowing, raising questions about the extent of the boom.
Meanwhile, South Korea's overall industrial output in August exceeded economists' expectations, growing by 3.8% year-over-year, higher than the anticipated 1.9%.
