SEOUL, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's export of the information and communications technology (ICT) products rose for the ninth consecutive month, government data showed Thursday.

The ICT products shipment soared 32.8 percent from a year earlier to 19.4 billion U.S. dollars in July, continuing to grow since November 2023, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Semiconductor export jumped 49.0 percent to 11.23 billion dollars last month on strong demand for chips used in artificial intelligence (AI).

Display panel shipment grew 2.0 percent to 1.93 billion dollars owing to solid demand for panels used for TVs and computers, while mobile phone export surged 69.4 percent to 1.23 billion dollars.

Shipment for computers and peripherals spiked 51.1 percent to 1.31 billion dollars, but communications equipment export declined 2.4 percent to 190 million dollars.

Import for ICT products expanded 6.0 percent over the year to 12.12 billion dollars in July, sending the trade surplus in the ICT industry to 7.28 billion dollars.

Import for chips and display panels increased in double digits, but those for computers and mobile devices retreated in single figures. ■