South Korea’s trade surplus soared to USD 36.15 billion in June 2026, up from USD 9.08 billion in the same month a year earlier, marking the 17th consecutive month in surplus and the largest trade surplus on record, flash data showed. Exports jumped 70.9% year-on-year to a record high of USD 102.25 billion, accelerating sharply from an upwardly revised 53.4% surge in May, and exceeding USD 100 billion for the first time, mainly driven by a surge in semiconductor exports. Shipments rose for the 13th straight month, with semiconductor exports soaring 199.5% to a record USD 44.82 billion, surpassing USD 40 billion for the first time, driven by strong demand for memory chips. Meanwhile, imports grew 30.1% yoy to a record peak of USD 66.10 billion, accelerating from a downwardly revised 20.7% increase in May and marking the fastest pace since May 2022, supported by resilient domestic demand. source: Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy (MOTIE)

South Korea recorded a trade surplus of 26950 USD Million in May of 2026. Balance of Trade in South Korea averaged 1321.20 USD Million from 1966 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 26950 USD Million in May of 2026 and a record low of -12674.91 USD Million in January of 2023. This page provides the latest reported value for - South Korea Balance of Trade - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. South Korea Balance of Trade - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on July of 2026.

South Korea recorded a trade surplus of 26950 USD Million in May of 2026. Balance of Trade in South Korea is expected to be 29900.00 USD Million by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the South Korea Balance of Trade is projected to trend around 45000.00 USD Million in 2027 and 55000.00 USD Million in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-06-01 12:00 AM
Balance of Trade
May $26.95B $23.76B $24.3B $25.0B
2026-07-01 12:00 AM
Balance of Trade
Jun $36.15B $27.04B $ 29.9B
2026-08-01 12:00 AM
Balance of Trade
Jul $36.15B


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Balance of Trade 36150.00 27040.00 USD Million Jun 2026
Exports 102250.00 87750.00 USD Million Jun 2026
Exports YoY 70.90 53.40 percent Jun 2026
Imports 66100.00 60800.00 USD Million Jun 2026
Imports YoY 30.10 20.70 percent Jun 2026


South Korea Balance of Trade
South Korea is heavily dependent on international trade with the biggest trading partners including China, the US and Japan. The country has been recording consistent trade surpluses since 2008 with the exception of 2022 when the war in Ukraine increased substantially the bill for imports of oil and food.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
36150.00 27040.00 36150.00 -12674.91 1966 - 2026 USD Million Monthly

News Stream
South Korea Posts Record Trade Surplus
South Korea’s trade surplus soared to USD 36.15 billion in June 2026, up from USD 9.08 billion in the same month a year earlier, marking the 17th consecutive month in surplus and the largest trade surplus on record, flash data showed. Exports jumped 70.9% year-on-year to a record high of USD 102.25 billion, accelerating sharply from an upwardly revised 53.4% surge in May, and exceeding USD 100 billion for the first time, mainly driven by a surge in semiconductor exports. Shipments rose for the 13th straight month, with semiconductor exports soaring 199.5% to a record USD 44.82 billion, surpassing USD 40 billion for the first time, driven by strong demand for memory chips. Meanwhile, imports grew 30.1% yoy to a record peak of USD 66.10 billion, accelerating from a downwardly revised 20.7% increase in May and marking the fastest pace since May 2022, supported by resilient domestic demand.
2026-07-01
South Korea Posts Record-High Trade Surplus
South Korea’s trade surplus surged to USD 26.95 billion in May 2026, up from USD 6.93 billion in the same month a year earlier, surpassing market expectations of a USD 24.3 billion surplus and marking a 16th consecutive month in the black and the largest surplus on record, flash data showed. Exports jumped 53.2% yoy to a record peak of USD 87.75 billion, beating market forecasts of 48.4% and accelerating from a 48.0% rise in April, mainly driven by a surge in semiconductor exports. Shipments rose for a 12th straight month, with semiconductor sales soaring 169.4% to a record USD 37.16 billion, lifted by strong AI investment. Shipments to China and the US surged by 80.9% and 59.1%, respectively. Meanwhile, imports increased 20.8%, softer than expectations of 21.5% but accelerating from 16.7% growth in April, and the fastest pace since August 2022, supported by resilient domestic demand. For the first five months of the year, the country posted a USD 101.91 billion surplus.
2026-06-01
South Korea Trade Surplus Exceeds Forecasts
South Korea’s trade surplus jumped to USD 23.77 billion in April 2026, up from USD 4.88 billion in the same month a year earlier, beating market expectations of a USD 23 billion surplus and marking a 15th consecutive month in the black, flash data showed. Exports surged 48% year-on-year, surpassing market forecasts of 45.3%, though slightly easing from an upwardly revised 49.2% jump in March, mainly driven by a surge in semiconductor exports. Shipments rose for an 11th straight month, with semiconductor sales soaring 173.5% to USD 31.9 billion, the highest-ever figure for any April, fueled by strong AI investment and rising memory chip prices. Shipments to China (62.5%) and the US (54%) jumped, driven by semiconductors. Meanwhile, imports grew 16.7%, faster than expectations of 14.5% and accelerating from a 13.2% increase in March, marking a sixth consecutive month of expansion and supported by resilient domestic demand.
2026-05-01