The Republic of Korea's exports of information and communication technology (ICT) products rose 5.8 percent in the first half from a year earlier, driven by robust semiconductor sales amid growing demand for data centres, government data showed Monday.

Outbound shipments of ICT products reached US$115.16 billion in the January-June period, up from $108.83 billion a year earlier, the Ministry of Science and ICT said in a press release.

According to Yonhap News Agency, ICT imports rose 5 percent on-year to $70.92 billion in the first six months, resulting in a trade surplus of $44.24 billion in the sector.