Lee thanks businesses and workers as exports top $900 billion for first time, says he will expand economic territory

[Financial News] President Lee Jae-myung said on the 1st that he was grateful to businesspeople and workers on the production floor after South Korean exports surpassed $900 billion for the first time in history, adding, “I will work harder, through pragmatic diplomacy for the national interest, to expand the economic territory where you can do business.”
President Lee shared a related article on X, formerly Twitter, that day and wrote, “It feels like only yesterday we were celebrating $10 billion in exports. I’m moved.”
He continued, “You businesspeople and workers on the production floor have worked hard, and I thank you,” adding, “Let all the people of Korea join together to plant and nurture K around the world.”
According to the “October 2026 Export and Import Trends” released that day by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, cumulative exports from January to October this year totaled $930 billion, up 60.6% from the same period last year. Exports need to rise by another $70 billion to reach $1 trillion for the year.
October exports rose 93.7% from a year earlier to $115.28 billion, the second-highest monthly figure on record. Semiconductor exports jumped 259.4% to $56.44 billion, while automobiles, cosmetics and biohealth products also posted growth.
[email protected] Seong Seok-woo Reporter