South Korea’s Current Account Surplus Soars to $116.63 Billion on Semiconductor Export Boom

South Korea posted the second-largest current account surplus among major economies in the second quarter, surpassing the combined surpluses of Germany and Japan, central bank data showed Sunday (25.10.2026).

· Global Ranking: South Korea recorded the world’s second-largest current account surplus at $116.63 billion in April–June, after China ($193.72 billion).

· Surpasses Germany and Japan: South Korea’s surplus exceeded the combined surplus of Germany ($52.28 billion) and Japan ($50.62 billion) by $13.73 billion, a first since comparable records began in Q1 1996.

· Surplus Growth: The surplus more than quadrupled from $28.39 billion a year earlier, compared with increases of 11.9% in Germany and 5% in Japan.

· Key Driver: Strong global demand and rising chip prices boosted semiconductor exports.

· Semiconductor Exports: South Korea’s semiconductor exports surged 181.6% year-on-year to $113.89 billion in Q2.

[ABS News Service/27.10.2026]

The country's current account surplus reached $116.63 billion in the April-June period, trailing only China's $193.72 billion, according to International Monetary Fund data available on the Bank of Korea's Economic Statistics System.

Germany ranked third with a surplus of $52.28 billion, followed by Japan with $50.62 billion. Their combined surplus of $102.9 billion was $13.73 billion less than South Korea's.

It marked the first time South Korea's surplus exceeded the combined figures for Germany and Japan since comparable data for all three countries became available in the first quarter of 1996.

South Korea's surplus more than quadrupled from $28.39 billion a year earlier, far outpacing increases of 11.9 percent in Germany and 5 percent in Japan.

The sharp increase was largely driven by surging semiconductor exports amid rising chip prices and robust global demand.

According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics, South Korea's semiconductor exports soared 181.6 percent on-year to $113.89 billion in the second quarter.