'Moved to see this, when celebrating $10 billion feels like yesterday'

President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hye-kyung wave to well-wishers at Felipe Angeles International Airport in Mexico City on Monday (local time) before departing after a state visit to Mexico last month. [Yonhap]
President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hye-kyung wave to well-wishers at Felipe Angeles International Airport in Mexico City on Monday (local time) before departing after a state visit to Mexico last month. [Yonhap]

South Korea's exports surpassed $900 billion this year for the first time in history, putting the country on track to break the $1 trillion mark before year's end. President Lee Jae Myung took to social media Sunday to celebrate the milestone.

"I am moved — celebrating $10 billion in exports feels like just yesterday," Lee wrote on X, formerly Twitter, after the cumulative figure crossed $900 billion for the first time.

Lee thanked those who made the achievement possible. "To the business leaders and workers on the production floor — thank you for your hard work," Lee wrote.

Lee added that "the government will work harder to expand the economic territory in which you can compete, through practical, national-interest diplomacy," and called on all Koreans to "together plant and nurture the 'K' brand across the world." The post carried the hashtags "Long live the great Korean people" and "Long live the great Republic of Korea."

According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, cumulative exports from January through October reached $930 billion, surpassing $900 billion for the first time in history. At the current pace, annual exports are expected to break the $1 trillion mark sometime in November.

Exports rose across 18 of the country's 20 major export categories, with semiconductors leading the way. Semiconductor exports last month reached $56.44 billion, a 259.4 percent increase from October last year, marking a second consecutive month above $50 billion. Cosmetics, agricultural and fishery products, and biotech health products all posted record October figures. Cosmetics exports rose 57.5 percent to $1.44 billion, agricultural and fishery products climbed 11.6 percent to $1.11 billion, and biotech health products gained 30.2 percent to $1.53 billion.


park.jiyeong@heraldcorp.com