01.02.202600:11:49UTC+00South Korea Trade Balance Swings to Surplus

In January 2026, South Korea experienced a trade surplus of USD 8.74 billion, a significant turnaround from the USD 1.89 billion deficit recorded in the same month the previous year. This exceeded market expectations, which had anticipated a surplus of USD 4.6 billion. The impressive figures are attributed to a substantial increase in exports, as reported by preliminary data. Export activity surged by 33.9% compared to the previous year, reaching a historic high of USD 65.8 billion. This marks the most robust growth seen since August 2021, far surpassing the tempered 13.3% rise revised in December, and outperforming the predicted 29.9% increase. Concurrently, imports grew by 11.7% to USD 57.10 billion, building on a 4.6% increase in December, though this was below the anticipated growth rate of 14.6%.