CHUNGCHEONGBUK-DO < invest Korea

According to Yonhap News,

(CHEONGJU=Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Seong-min = Chungbuk Province recorded its highest-ever export performance last year, led by its flagship export item, semiconductors.

According to the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) on the 22nd, Chungbuk’s export volume last year reached USD 33.8 billion, a 26.8 percent increase from the previous year, surpassing the previous record of USD 32.4 billion set in 2022. Import volume reached USD 7.825 billion, up 8.1 percent from the previous year (USD 7.237 billion), resulting in a trade surplus of USD 19.471 billion.

KITA analyzed that semiconductors, which saw a simultaneous rise in demand and unit prices due to the AI-driven boom, spearheaded the export growth. Last year, Chungbuk’s semiconductor export volume increased by 75.1 percent year-on-year to USD 20.4 billion, a record high, accounting for 60.2 percent of the province’s total exports.

Exports to Taiwan, which has a large share of semiconductor exports from Chungbuk, increased by 217 percent to USD 13.789 billion. This accounts for 40.8 percent of total exports, and Taiwan has overtaken China and the United States, previously ranked 1st and 2nd, to become Chungbuk’s top export partner.

Automobile parts exports (USD 951 million) also increased by 133.7 percent compared to the previous year. KITA interpreted this as a result of component suppliers in Chungbuk expanding alongside major Korean automakers' production in the U.S., as well as a rebound in exports to EU regions like Germany and Spain due to recovering vehicle demand in Europe.

Kim Hee-young, head of the KITA Chungbuk Regional Headquarters, stated, "We achieved record-high export performance despite concerns over tariff shocks from the U.S. and a global economic slowdown. We will diversify our target countries and products while focusing on resolving on-site export challenges to ensure the simultaneous growth of our province's major industries such as batteries, bio, and cosmetics."

chase_arete@yna.co.kr



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Source Text

Source: Yonhap News (January 22, 2026)

** This article was translated from Korean.