With the recent internationalization boom, the internationalization of Korean firms has been heavily emphasized; however, most internationalization patterns are oriented toward foreign direct investment, and exports have not been given due importance. Moreover, while general trading companies have attracted attention as enterprises for export expansion, the export issues of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which constitute the vast majority of Korean firms, have been relatively neglected in terms of both policy consideration and academic research. Therefore, this study aims to empirically elucidate the export behavior of Korean SMEs. Specifically, it first examines the motivations and processes through which SMEs enter export markets; second, it identifies the characteristic differences between exporting and non-exporting SMEs; and finally, it seeks to determine the factors that influence the export performance of exporting SMEs. The quantitative analysis and elucidation of SME export behavior through this research can provide concrete, empirically supported measures for facilitating Korean SMEs' decisions to enter overseas markets and for expanding those markets. It is thereby expected to enable the formulation of strategies for corporate survival and development in the era of internationalization, and at the national level, to contribute to pursuing stable economic development through the long-term increase in exports to address the trade deficit problem and through the expansion of domestic employment.