SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA / RankWire.AI / – In June, South Korea’s current account surplus hit an all-time high of $49.73 billion, driven by a significant rise in semiconductor exports. The Bank of Korea reported a notable jump from the previous record of $38.61 billion set in May. This month also marked the 38th consecutive month that the country maintained a current account surplus. The primary driver behind this increase was robust goods exports, with technology shipments playing a leading role in the surge of overseas sales.
For the first half of the year, the cumulative current account surplus reached $191.01 billion, setting a new record for January through June, surpassing the $47.87 billion recorded during the same period last year. This figure also exceeded South Korea’s entire 2025 surplus of $123.05 billion. The rapid growth in exports during this period was fueled by heightened global demand for semiconductors and other information technology products, bolstering the nation’s trade performance.
South Korea’s goods account registered a record surplus of $47.89 billion in June. Under balance-of-payments standards, goods exports increased by 84.5% year-on-year to $112.37 billion, while imports grew by 38.6% to $64.48 billion within the same month. This divergence between export and import growth contributed to the highest monthly goods balance ever recorded and was the largest factor behind the overall current account surplus.
Chip exports drive technology sector growth
Exports of semiconductors surged by 196.9% compared to the previous year, marking the strongest growth among major technology categories. Computer peripheral exports soared by 282.7%, and total information technology exports increased by 160.4% during June. The rise in computer peripheral exports was supported by shipments of solid-state drives and related equipment. Additionally, non-technology exports grew by 18.6%, with petroleum and chemical products among the categories experiencing increased shipment volumes compared with June 2025.
Customs data separately revealed that South Korea’s total exports reached $102.25 billion in June, up 70.9% from a year earlier. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources reported semiconductor exports of approximately $44.82 billion for the same month. Imports also rose by 30.1% to $66.10 billion, leading to a customs trade surplus of $36.15 billion. It is important to note that customs trade figures differ from balance-of-payments data because the two systems employ different accounting methods and coverage standards.
Services deficit partially offsets trade gains
In June, the services account recorded a deficit of $1.29 billion, which somewhat offset the substantial surplus generated from goods trade. The travel account posted a $440 million surplus, marking its second consecutive month of positive results. The primary income account added a $3.27 billion surplus during the month, with dividend income accounting for $2.56 billion of that total. Meanwhile, the financial account experienced a net asset increase of $46.71 billion.
Trade figures for July indicated continued strength following June’s record current account surplus. South Korean exports reached $98.89 billion, representing a 62.8% increase compared to the same month last year. Semiconductor exports rose by 179%, and imports increased by 26.5% to $68.56 billion. The country recorded a $30.32 billion customs trade surplus for July, extending the positive export trend that contributed to the record current account surplus reported for the previous month.