SEOUL, Feb. 6 (Yonhap) — South Korea posted its largest-ever annual current account surplus last year, supported by robust exports amid strong semiconductor demand, central bank data showed Friday.
The country’s current account surplus totaled US$123.05 billion in 2025, up from $99.97 billion a year earlier, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK).
The figure marks the largest yearly surplus on record, surpassing the previous high of $105.1 billion set in 2015 and beating the BOK’s forecast of $115 billion.
In December alone, the country logged a current account surplus of $18.7 billion, up from $12.9 billion a month earlier.
It marks the largest monthly surplus on record, surpassing the previous high of $14.22 billion set in September 2025.
South Korea has reported a current account surplus every month since May 2023, marking the second-longest surplus streak on record.
Containers are stacked at a port in the southeastern city of Busan, in this file photo from Jan. 28, 2026. (Yonhap)
The record surplus was driven by strong exports, particularly shipments of semiconductors and other information and communications devices.
The goods account logged a record $18.85 billion surplus in December, marking the 22nd consecutive month of surplus.
In detail, exports advanced 13.1 percent on-year to $71.65 billion, while imports added 1.7 percent to $52.8 billion in the month.
For the entire year of 2025, exports set a new record of $718.94 billion by rising 2.1 percent on-year.
The services account, however, registered a $3.69 billion deficit in December, compared with a $2.38 billion deficit a year earlier and a $2.85 billion deficit reported in November.
The deficit was due largely to rising demand for overseas travel during the winter vacation season, according to the central bank.
The primary income account, which tracks the wages of foreign workers, dividend payments from overseas and interest income, logged a $4.73 billion surplus in December, up sharply from the previous month’s $1.53 billion surplus, the data showed.
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(YONHAP NEWS)