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.

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.

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.