Amid the semiconductor boom, concerns are growing over concentration and a bubble

The boom in the semiconductor sector is lifting South Korea's exports and stock market, but concerns are also growing that the concentration in a specific industry is excessive. In exports for May, released on the 1st, semiconductors accounted for 42.3% of total exports, significantly increasing their share. Experts point out that the more severe the concentration on semiconductors becomes, the more sensitive the economy may become to changes in external conditions. The Korea Center for International Finance noted that as a semiconductorcentered structure strengthens, the South Korean economy could become more vulnerable to external shocks, and said that nonsemiconductor industries continue to face uncertainty due to U.S. tariff burdens and intensifying competition with China. The gap between semiconductors and other sectors is also widening in the stock market. In the securities industry, the KOSPI excluding semiconductors is estimated to be at a relatively low level, and analysis has suggested that the prolonged concentration phenomenon could undermine the market's health. In the United States, while the spread of AI is driving semiconductor demand, the sharp rise in related stocks has also reignited debate over a bubble.