GWANGJU < invest Korea

According to Yonhap News,

(Gwangju = Yonhap News) Reporter Jang Deok-jong = Gwangju recorded an export growth rate of 12.6 percent last year, ranking first among special and metropolitan cities in South Korea.

According to an analysis of export trends by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) released by Gwangju City on the 3rd, the city's export volume reached USD 17.52 billion, a 12.6 percent increase from the previous year's USD 15.55 billion.

This was the highest growth rate among the eight special and metropolitan cities, followed by Daejeon (9.1 percent), Daegu (1.8 percent), Incheon (1 percent), and Seoul (0.5 percent).

The rise in Gwangju's exports is attributed to the growth of the automobile and semiconductor industries.

Automobile exports reached USD 7.51 billion, a 9.1 percent increase year-on-year, breaking the record for the highest performance ever.

Analysts suggest that the expansion of the proportion of eco-friendly vehicles, such as Electric Vehicles (EVs) and hybrids, has led to qualitative growth accompanied by a rise in export unit prices, going beyond a simple increase in volume.

Semiconductor exports skyrocketed by 40.2 percent year-on-year to USD 5.75 billion.

This surge is analyzed to be supported by the technological competitiveness of local advanced back-end process (packaging) companies, alongside increased demand for high-performance memory due to the global spread of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) industry.

Exports to the United States, the largest export destination, decreased slightly by 0.8 percent compared to the previous year. However, exports of automobiles, a key item, reached a record high of USD 4.05 billion.

Last year's imports amounted to USD 8.73 billion, a 17.9 percent increase from the previous year.

Intermediate goods accounted for 88.4 percent of total imports, which is interpreted as an increase in component imports following the expansion of production in key industries such as automobiles and semiconductors.

"We will spare no policy support to strengthen the global competitiveness of local industries through customized support for export companies and the expansion of overseas marketing," said Hong Na-soon, Head of the City's Startup Promotion Division.

cbebop@yna.co.kr



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Source Text

Source: Yonhap News (February 03, 2026)

** This article was translated from Korean.