Korea Chip Stockpiles Swell to a Record as Demand Sputters
- South Korea semiconductor inventory rises by 83% in April
- Country’s chips industry signals global demand conditions
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South Korea’s semiconductor inventory surged by the most in seven years, underscoring ongoing weak demand for chips despite the global boom in AI development.
Stockpiles rose 83% in April from a year ago — the biggest increase since April 2016 — and the index tracking inventories jumped to a record, according to data from Statistics Korea Wednesday. Meanwhile, factory shipments fell 33% from the year-ago period and production was cut 20%, the data show.