Why did Korea’s top 10 exporters take a bigger share of total shipments in the second quarter?

The increase was driven by the strong performance of technology products, especially semiconductors. The top 10 exporters’ share of total outbound shipments rose to 55.3 percent from 38.3 percent a year earlier.

How much did Korea’s total exports and electronics exports grow in the second quarter?

Total exports increased 57.3 percent year-on-year to $275.5 billion in the second quarter. Electronics exports more than doubled to $160 billion, accounting for 58 percent of total exports.

How did exports by conglomerates, medium-sized firms, and smaller firms change in the second quarter?

Exports by conglomerates rose 81.8 percent to $206 billion. Medium-sized businesses increased 10.9 percent to $35.9 billion, while smaller-sized enterprises added 13.1 percent to $32.7 billion.

Export concentration in top 10 firms rises sharply in Q2 amid chip boom

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Summary

Korea’s top 10 exporters sharply increased their share of total outbound shipments in the second quarter as semiconductor-led technology exports surged. The 10 firms accounted for 55.3 percent of exports, up from 38.3 percent a year earlier. Total exports rose 57.3 percent to $275.5 billion, while electronics exports more than doubled to $160 billion.

Key Facts

The share of the top 100 exporters rose from 66.3 percent to 76.3 percent in the April-June period.
Exports by conglomerates jumped 81.8 percent to $206 billion, reflecting the country’s reliance on big companies.
Exports by medium-sized businesses increased 10.9 percent to $35.9 billion, and smaller-sized enterprises saw a 13.1 percent rise to $32.7 billion.
Exports by the mining and manufacturing sector climbed 64.9 percent to $247.5 billion, driven by strong shipments from the electronics industry, including chips.
Exports by the wholesale and retail sector rose 14.3 percent to $21 billion.

By Yonhap

Published Aug 11, 2026 1:15 pm KST

Containers bound for export are stacked at a port in Busan, Thursday. Yonhap

The proportion of Korea's top 10 exporters in the country's total outbound shipments in the second quarter sharply expanded from a year earlier, data showed Tuesday, driven by the strong performance of technology products, including semiconductors.

Outbound shipments by the 10 businesses accounted for 55.3 percent of total exports in the April-June period, compared with 38.3 percent a year earlier, according to data compiled by the Ministry of Data and Statistics.

Over the cited period, the share accounted for by the country's top 100 exporters rose from 66.3 percent to 76.3 percent.

Total exports shot up 57.3 percent to $275.5 billion in the second quarter from the previous year.

The data ministry added that exports by conglomerates shot up 81.8 percent to $206 billion, reflecting the country's heavy reliance on big companies.

Exports by medium-sized businesses moved up 10.9 percent to $35.9 billion, with those by smaller-sized enterprises adding 13.1 percent to $32.7 billion.

By industry, exports by the mining and manufacturing sector jumped 64.9 percent to $247.5 billion, led by strong shipments from the electronics industry, including chips.

The report showed exports of the electronics industry more than doubled to $160 billion, taking up 58 percent of the total exports.

Exports by the wholesale and retail sector moved up 14.3 percent to $21 billion, the findings also showed.

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