Containers are stacked at a pier in Korea's largest port city of Busan, July 2. Yonhap
Korea recorded its fifth-largest monthly current account surplus in January, driven by a semiconductor upcycle and strong exports, central bank data showed Friday.
The current account surplus totaled $13.26 billion in January, down from $18.7 billion in December, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).
Compared with the same month a year earlier, however, the figure surged 397.4 percent, marking the fifth-largest monthly surplus on record.
Korea has recorded a current account surplus every month since May 2023, extending its surplus streak to 33 consecutive months, the second longest in history.
The nation logged the largest yearly surplus of $123.05 billion in 2025, surpassing the previous high of $105.1 billion set in 2015.
The goods account posted a surplus of $15.17 billion in January, the third-largest monthly figure on record, as exports jumped 30 percent on-year to $65.51 billion, while imports added 7 percent to $50.34 billion.
Chip exports soared 102.5 percent from a year earlier, while vehicle shipments increased 19 percent.
The services account recorded a deficit of $3.8 billion in January due mainly to a surge in overseas travel demand.
The primary income account, which includes wages of foreign workers, as well as dividend and interest income from abroad, posted a surplus of $2.72 billion, driven primarily by dividend earnings.
Source: Korea Times News
