South Korea Trains High School Chip Workers as Semiconductor Exports Reach $173 Billion
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 26
South Korea Trains High School Chip Workers as Semiconductor Exports Reach $173 Billion
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 26
Summary
$180 silicon wafers are part of daily drills at Chungbuk Semiconductor High School, where students practice contamination-free handling for chip production jobs.
The specialized vocational school reflects South Korea’s push to build a labor pipeline for semiconductor manufacturing as the global AI boom lifts demand.
$173 billion in semiconductor exports set a South Korean record in 2025, and the country is on pace to roughly double that total this year.
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix now make up more than 40% of the benchmark stock index’s market value, underscoring how central chips have become to the economy.
Beyond record profits, what are the hidden environmental costs of Korea's massive semiconductor expansion?
As South Korea's economy bets big on two chip giants, is it ready for the AI bubble's potential burst?
With tech giants now designing their own AI chips, can South Korea’s memory titans maintain their market dominance?
AI-Driven Semiconductor Export Boom: South Korea’s 85.9% Surge, Workforce Transformation, and Global Competition
Overview
Driven by soaring global demand for artificial intelligence technologies, South Korea is experiencing a remarkable surge in exports, with trade figures in June 2026 showing robust and sustained growth. This boom is fueled by the country’s central role in the semiconductor supply chain, as AI rapidly transforms the economic landscape. In just the first 10 days of June, exports soared by 85.9% compared to last year, highlighting the rapid acceleration of export activities. The strong momentum continues with significant increases in working-day adjusted exports, underscoring how AI demand is powering South Korea’s economic expansion.