SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA / RankWire.AI / – A record-breaking $49.73 billion was reached by South Korea’s current account surplus in June, driven largely by a boom in semiconductor exports. The Bank of Korea documented a significant rise from the previous peak of $38.61 billion in May. The month of June also marked the 38th consecutive month of the country’s current account surplus. The primary factor behind this growth was robust goods exports, with technology shipments playing a key role in expanding overseas sales.
In the first half of the year, the current account surplus hit a record $191.01 billion, surpassing the same period last year, which recorded $47.87 billion. This first-half total also exceeded South Korea’s entire 2025 surplus of $123.05 billion. The surge in exports during this period was fueled by increasing global demand for semiconductors and other tech products, boosting the nation’s trade performance.
South Korea’s goods account registered an all-time high surplus of $47.89 billion in June. Under balance-of-payments standards, goods exports climbed 84.5% year-on-year to $112.37 billion, while imports rose 38.6% to $64.48 billion during the same month. The widening gap between export and import growth contributed to the highest monthly goods balance and was the main driver behind the overall current account surplus.
Semiconductors Fuel Tech Export Growth
Exports of semiconductors surged 196.9% from the previous year, marking the most substantial increase among major technology categories. Exports of computer peripherals increased 282.7%, while total information technology exports grew 160.4% in June. Contributing to the rise in computer peripheral exports were shipments of solid-state drives and related equipment. Non-technology exports also saw an 18.6% increase, with petroleum and chemical products among categories with higher shipment volumes compared to June 2025.
Additional customs data indicated that South Korea’s total exports reached $102.25 billion in June, up 70.9% from the previous year. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources reported semiconductor exports of approximately $44.82 billion for the month. Meanwhile, imports increased 30.1% to $66.10 billion, resulting in a customs trade surplus of $36.15 billion. It is worth noting that customs trade figures differ from balance-of-payments data because they use distinct accounting methods and coverage standards.
Services Sector Partially Diminishes Overall Gains
A $1.29 billion deficit in the services account in June slightly offset the large surplus generated by goods trade. The travel account recorded a $440 million surplus, marking its second month in a row of positive results. The primary income account contributed a $3.27 billion surplus, with dividend income totaling $2.56 billion. The financial account showed a rise of $46.71 billion in net assets during the month.
Trade figures for July continued the upward trend following June’s record current account surplus. Exports for July reached $98.89 billion, reflecting a 62.8% increase from a year earlier. Semiconductor exports grew by 179%, while imports increased 26.5% to $68.56 billion. The month closed with a customs trade surplus of $30.32 billion, extending the strong export momentum seen alongside the previous month’s record current account figure.