Country export capability

Republic of Korea
export capability

A reported view of Republic of Korea's export scale, destination network, sector breadth, trade history, and market-access context. Use the indicators together; no single measure describes export readiness on its own.

KOR1995-2024 coverage270 active partner marketsMacro trend resilient
Latest exports$719.1B2024 reported value
Latest imports$602.8B2024 reported value
Trade balance$116.4BExports minus imports
Export growth+9%Latest year-on-year change
Active partners270Latest reported markets

Country export profile overview

Republic of Korea export data in one research view

This profile brings together export performance, trade balance, destination markets, HS2 sectors, partner breadth, history, and market-access context for country export research.

Export scale and balance

Start with the latest reported trade position

In 2024, Republic of Korea recorded $719.1B in exports and $602.8B in imports. The resulting $116.4B trade balance gives the latest country-level position a clear context.

Exports changed +9% year on year and show a calculated +2.4% three-year CAGR. CAGR is an annualized comparison of reported values, not a forecast.

Markets and sectors

See where export value is concentrated

China received $165.3B in reported exports, representing 23% of the latest country total. Electrical machinery was the largest displayed HS2 export sector at $240.4B and 33.4% of exports.

The visible page highlights five leading destinations and five leading HS2 sectors, while the complete structured files retain every row supplied for this sample.

History and coverage

Read today's number against the long series

The country series covers 1995 through 2024, with 30 observed annual rows. That longer view helps separate a single-year movement from the broader export trend.

Partner counts, tariff context, concentration, exposure shares, and momentum are supporting indicators calculated from available trade observations. Missing values remain unavailable rather than estimated.

Economy and structure

The context around Republic of Korea's export base

Macroeconomic and structural indicators add context to merchandise trade scale. They describe the country environment; they do not predict company performance or future exports.

GDP$1.9T2024 macro context
GDP per capita$36.2KCurrent-dollar GDP
Population51.8MReported population
Labor force28.2KReported labor force
Investment rate32.1%National investment rate
Savings rate33.9%National savings rate
Trade openness81.8%Exports + imports / GDP
Exports / GDP44.5%Merchandise exports / GDP
Secondary education97.7%Education context
Tertiary education60.3%Education context

Market signals

Where to look more closely next

Route-level risk and emerging-corridor signals for further research. These are calculated indicators, not forecasts.

Destination risk contextAll covered routes
Destination risk context for Republic of Korea
DestinationAttentionAttention shareBelow peakApplied tariffPrimary reason
Viet NamVNMCritical attention62.1%20.4%15.3%Volatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure
ChinaCHNWatch49.3%25.6%29.9%Buyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
JapanJPNCritical attention70%32.3%1.9%Buyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
China, Hong Kong Special Administrative RegionHKGCritical attention62.9%44.1%0%Volatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure
USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSAWatch21.3%14.3%4.3%Volatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure
HungaryHUNCritical attention62.1%33.5%11.4%Volatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure
GermanyDEUCritical attention38.5%43.5%1.7%Volatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure
IndiaINDWatch45.3%22.2%51.8%Volatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure
IndonesiaIDNCritical attention59.7%34.5%16.5%Buyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
SingaporeSGPWatch30.8%24.2%0.4%Volatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure

Full route coverage is retained. High attention means the route deserves closer product and access review.

Market opportunity signals

Product-market combinations worth investigating

All returned rows use buyer demand, exporter position, and calculated addressable-value fields. They are research signals, not forecasts.

Addressable-value signalsAll returned rows
Market opportunity signals for Republic of Korea
RankMarket and productBuyer importsAddressable 3-year valueCurrent shareDemand signal
1ChinaHS6 260111 · Iron ores and concentrates: non-agglomerated$111.0B$119.1B0%Growing -2.6%
2USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsHS6 270900 · Oils: petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude$165.0B$115.5B0%Declining +1.1%
3ChinaHS6 270900 · Oils: petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude$291.6B$98.6B0%Accelerating -6.7%
4IndiaHS6 270900 · Oils: petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude$130.1B$72.9B0%Slowing -0.5%
5ChinaHS6 710812 · Metals: gold, non-monetary, unwrought (but not powder)$80.8B$64.8B0.1%Growing +2.4%
6ChinaHS6 120190 · Soya beans: other than seed, whether or not broken$47.8B$62.4B0%Slowing -13.5%
7ChinaHS6 854231 · Electronic integrated circuits: processors and controllers, whether or not combined with memories, converters, logic circuits, amplifiers, clock and timing circuits, or other circuits$158.0B$59.2B13.1%Accelerating +10.5%
8USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsHS6 851712 · Telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks$53.9B$53.4B0.5%Stable -8.8%

Addressable value is a calculated field. Validate product, buyer, tariff, and route conditions before commercial decisions.

Detailed export portfolioHS4 lines beneath the leading sectorsOpen the detailed four-digit export table for Republic of Korea.
All HS4 export lines2024 ranking
Top HS4 export lines for Republic of Korea
RankHS4Parent HS2 sectorExportsShareActive HS6
18542HS4 detail codeElectrical machinery (85) ↗$145.3B20.2%5
28703HS4 detail codeVehicles (87) ↗$69.0B9.6%14
32710HS4 detail codeMineral fuels (27) ↗$50.3B7%5
48517HS4 detail codeElectrical machinery (85) ↗$27.1B3.8%7
58901HS4 detail codeShips and boats (89) ↗$23.0B3.2%4
68708HS4 detail codeVehicles (87) ↗$18.2B2.5%14
78473HS4 detail codeMachinery (84) ↗$15.9B2.2%5
88523HS4 detail codeElectrical machinery (85) ↗$11.0B1.5%8
98529HS4 detail codeElectrical machinery (85) ↗$10.4B1.4%2
103002HS4 detail codePharmaceutical products (30) ↗$9.6B1.3%8
112902HS4 detail codeOrganic chemicals (29) ↗$9.0B1.2%12
123304HS4 detail codeEssential oils and cosmetics (33) ↗$8.5B1.2%5

HS4 values are reported observations. The hierarchy is preserved; no missing descriptions are inferred.

The country export read

Republic of Korea combines $719.1B in exports with a broad partner network.

In 2024, Republic of Korea recorded $719.1B in reported exports and $602.8B in imports, producing a reported trade surplus of $116.4B. Exports changed +9% year on year and +2.4% annualized over three years. Electrical machinery (HS2 85) was the largest displayed export sector by value.

Destination network

Where Republic of Korea exports move

All returned destination lanes ranked by latest reported export value. Share is calculated against the country total. Review sources ↗

Latest reported destination lanesAll returned · 2024
Leading export destinations for Republic of Korea
RankDestinationLatest exportsShareYear-on-year3-year CAGR
1ChinaCHN$165.3B23%+11.2%-5.9%
2USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA$124.5B17.3%+10.4%+10.6%
3Viet NamVNM$61.2B8.5%+17.1%+3.2%
4TaiwanTWN$39.8B5.5%+55.1%+11.6%
5JapanJPN$30.1B4.2%+2.7%-0.8%
6SingaporeSGP$23.0B3.2%+6.7%+8.5%
7MexicoMEX$20.0B2.8%+16%+6.4%
8IndiaIND$19.2B2.7%+6.4%+6.8%
9AustraliaAUS$15.9B2.2%-10.6%+18%
10CanadaCAN$11.6B1.6%+16%+13.3%

Destination values are reported country-to-country observations. Full returned rows remain in the downloads.

Trade history

A long view of export scale

Latest twelve years from the 30-year reported country series. Context, not a forecast.

Reported exports by year

2013
$568.3B
2014
$585.7B
2015
$533.8B
2016
$508.0B
2017
$584.6B
2018
$611.0B
2019
$559.4B
2020
$538.0B
2021
$670.2B
2022
$724.0B
2023
$659.8B
2024
$719.1B

Partner network

Scale is only one part of export capability

Partner breadth, distance, agreements, and tariffs add context to reported exports.

FTA partner markets58Reported count
WTO partner markets169Reported count
EU partner markets28Reported count
Shared-border partners1Country context
Shared-language partners1Country context
Average partner distance9,523 kmCalculated average
Partners with FTA21.5%Calculated share
Applied tariff context0.1%Calculated average
MFN tariff context0.1%Calculated average
Tariff advantage+0.1 ppPreferential vs MFN

Exposure context

Signals to examine alongside export scale

Calculated or classified route and country context. Not predictions or recommendations.

Attention share49.2%

Covered value under attention

Critical share6.2%

Covered value marked critical

Below historical peak23.1%

Distance below route peaks

FTA-covered exports78.2%

Covered value with FTA context

Weighted tariff context0.1%

Export-weighted tariff

Macro contextMacro trend resilient

Primary attention driver: High trade volatility.

Momentum score7

History-based indicator

Partner concentration1,005.4

Partner HHI

Product concentration224.3

Product HHI

Country attention level: Watch. Missing fields remain unavailable.

Complete country valuesOpen the full profile evidenceFull history, sectors, HS4, destinations, risk, opportunities, and source fields.

Profile fields

Year2,024
Country Iso3KOR
Exports Usd$719.1B
Imports Usd$602.8B
Trade Balance Usd$116.4B
Yoy Exports Growth Pct9%
Yoy Imports Growth Pct-2%
Exports Cagr 3y Pct2.4%
Imports Cagr 3y Pct0.6%
Export Partner Hhi1,005.4
Export Product Hhi224.3
Momentum Score7
Risk Score6.1
Gdp Million Usd1,875,388.21 million USD
Gdp Per Capita Usd$36.2K
Population51,751,065
Labor Force28,233
Investment Rate Pct32.1%
Savings Rate Pct33.9%
Secondary Education Pct97.7%
Tertiary Education Pct60.3%
Total Factor Productivity1,485.6
Trade Openness Pct81.8%
Exports Gdp Pct44.5%
Num Active Partners270
Num Fta Partners58
Num Wto Partners169
Num Eu Partners28
Num Shared Border Partners1
Num Shared Language Partners1
Avg Partner Distance Km9,523 km
Avg Partner Gdp Million Usd533,678,518.33 million USD
Avg Partner Gdp Per Capita Usd$15.8
Avg Buyer Biz Entry DaysNot reported
Avg Buyer Biz Entry Cost PctNot reported
Pct Partners With Fta21
Pct Partners Shared Language0
Pct Partners Shared Border0
Avg Applied Tariff Pct0.1%
Avg Mfn Tariff Pct0.1%
Avg Preferential Tariff Pct0%
Tariff Advantage Pp+0.1 pp
Avg Distance All Partners Km9,624
Num Border Partners20
Num Colonial Partners25
Avg Substitution Elasticity-10.8
Pct Products High Elasticity76
Pct Products Low Elasticity3
Real Market Potential193,723.9
Foreign Market Potential21,832.5

Exposure fields

Country Iso3KOR
All History Lane Count58,437
Current Lane Count51,174
Critical Lane Count673
High Attention Lane Count11,215
High Volatility Lane Count29,816
Unrecovered Drawdown Lane Count28,923
Declining Demand Lane Count265
Concentrated Market Lane Count24,774
Access Friction Lane Count8,533
Buyer Macro Weakness Lane Count4,513
Monitored Exports Current Usd$708.9B
Attention Exports Usd$349.1B
Critical Exports Usd$44.2B
High Volatility Exports Usd$388.7B
Unrecovered Drawdown Exports Usd$124.9B
Non Fta Exports Usd$153.2B
Monitored Attention Share Pct49.2%
Monitored Critical Share Pct6.2%
Fta Covered Exports Share Pct78.2%
Export Weighted Volatility Cv1.2
Export Weighted Below Peak Pct23.1%
Export Weighted Distance Km5,696 km
Export Weighted Tariff Pct0.1%
Latest Data Year2,024
First Data Year1,995
Country Years Count30
Total Exports Latest Usd$719.1B
Total Imports Latest Usd$602.8B
Trade Balance Latest Usd$116.4B
Exports Yoy Latest Pct9%
Exports Cagr 3y Latest Pct2.4%
Gdp Latest Million Usd1,875,388.21 million USD
Gdp Per Capita Latest Usd$36.2K
Population Latest51,751,065
Investment Rate Latest Pct32.1%
Savings Rate Latest Pct33.9%
Trade Openness Latest Pct81.8%
Exports Gdp Latest Pct44.5%
Active Partners Latest270
Fta Partners Latest58
Foreign Market Potential Latest21,832.5
Gdp 5y Cagr Pct1.4%
Gdp Per Capita 5y Cagr Pct1.4%
Population 5y Cagr Pct-0%
Partner Hhi Latest1,005.4
Partner Top1 Share Latest Pct23%
Partner Top3 Share Latest Pct48.8%
Partner Hhi All Avg957.3
Partner Hhi All Max1,269.1
Product Hhi Latest224.3
Product Top1 Share Latest Pct9.9%
Product Top3 Share Latest Pct20.9%
Product Hhi All Avg170.3
Product Hhi All Max247.8
Total Exports Attention Share Pct48.5%
Total Exports Critical Share Pct6.2%
Attention LevelWatch
Primary Risk DriverHigh trade volatility
Macro Resilience LabelMacro trend resilient

Annual country history

YearExportsImportsTrade balanceExports YoYExports CAGR 3Y
1995$123.6B$124.2B-$632.3MNot reportedNot reported
1996$129.5B$136.3B-$6.8B+4.8%Not reported
1997$134.4B$130.5B$3.9B+3.8%Not reported
1998$131.2B$82.8B$48.3B-2.4%+2%
1999$144.5B$112.4B$32.1B+10.2%+3.7%
2000$175.6B$154.0B$21.6B+21.5%+9.3%
2001$156.0B$135.3B$20.6B-11.2%+5.9%
2002$167.5B$150.2B$17.2B+7.4%+5%
2003$201.8B$178.2B$23.7B+20.5%+4.8%
2004$262.5B$221.3B$41.2B+30.1%+19%
2005$292.3B$254.9B$37.4B+11.4%+20.4%
2006$338.9B$298.7B$40.1B+15.9%+18.9%
2007$383.2B$339.3B$43.9B+13.1%+13.4%
2008$430.4B$420.9B$9.5B+12.3%+13.8%
2009$370.6B$316.3B$54.4B-13.9%+3%
2010$472.5B$411.7B$60.9B+27.5%+7.2%
2011$555.2B$509.0B$46.2B+17.5%+8.9%
2012$556.5B$512.9B$43.6B+0.2%+14.5%
2013$568.3B$516.2B$52.1B+2.1%+6.3%
2014$585.7B$520.7B$65.0B+3.1%+1.8%
2015$533.8B$437.3B$96.5B-8.9%-1.4%
2016$508.0B$409.5B$98.6B-4.8%-3.7%
2017$584.6B$474.4B$110.2B+15.1%-0.1%
2018$611.0B$521.5B$89.5B+4.5%+4.6%
2019$559.4B$493.9B$65.6B-8.4%+3.3%
2020$538.0B$454.8B$83.2B-3.8%-2.7%
2021$670.2B$592.8B$77.5B+24.6%+3.1%
2022$724.0B$692.4B$31.6B+8%+9%
2023$659.8B$615.4B$44.4B-8.9%+7%
2024$719.1B$602.8B$116.4B+9%+2.4%

Top export sectors

RankHS2SectorExportsShareExport partnersActive HS6
185Electrical machinery$240.4B33.4%193262
287Vehicles$92.3B12.8%19487
384Machinery$83.7B11.6%195515
427Mineral fuels$53.5B7.4%17443
539Plastics$36.0B5%190129
689Ships and boats$24.8B3.4%10818
772Iron and steel$24.6B3.4%161167
829Organic chemicals$22.5B3.1%165369
990Optical and medical instruments$16.2B2.3%194142
1030Pharmaceutical products$11.2B1.6%18843

Detailed HS4 export lines

RankHS4Parent HS2ExportsShareActive HS6
18542Electrical machinery (85)$145.3B20.2%5
28703Vehicles (87)$69.0B9.6%14
32710Mineral fuels (27)$50.3B7%5
48517Electrical machinery (85)$27.1B3.8%7
58901Ships and boats (89)$23.0B3.2%4
68708Vehicles (87)$18.2B2.5%14
78473Machinery (84)$15.9B2.2%5
88523Electrical machinery (85)$11.0B1.5%8
98529Electrical machinery (85)$10.4B1.4%2
103002Pharmaceutical products (30)$9.6B1.3%8
112902Organic chemicals (29)$9.0B1.2%12
123304Essential oils and cosmetics (33)$8.5B1.2%5

Top export destinations

RankDestinationISO3ExportsShareYoYCAGR 3Y
1ChinaCHN$165.3B23%+11.2%-5.9%
2USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA$124.5B17.3%+10.4%+10.6%
3Viet NamVNM$61.2B8.5%+17.1%+3.2%
4TaiwanTWN$39.8B5.5%+55.1%+11.6%
5JapanJPN$30.1B4.2%+2.7%-0.8%
6SingaporeSGP$23.0B3.2%+6.7%+8.5%
7MexicoMEX$20.0B2.8%+16%+6.4%
8IndiaIND$19.2B2.7%+6.4%+6.8%
9AustraliaAUS$15.9B2.2%-10.6%+18%
10CanadaCAN$11.6B1.6%+16%+13.3%

Destination risk context

RankDestinationAttentionAttention shareBelow peakApplied tariffPrimary reason
1Viet Nam (VNM)Critical attention62.1%20.4%15.3%Volatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure
2China (CHN)Watch49.3%25.6%29.9%Buyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
3Japan (JPN)Critical attention70%32.3%1.9%Buyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
4China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKG)Critical attention62.9%44.1%0%Volatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure
5USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA)Watch21.3%14.3%4.3%Volatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure
6Hungary (HUN)Critical attention62.1%33.5%11.4%Volatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure
7Germany (DEU)Critical attention38.5%43.5%1.7%Volatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure
8India (IND)Watch45.3%22.2%51.8%Volatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure
9Indonesia (IDN)Critical attention59.7%34.5%16.5%Buyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
10Singapore (SGP)Watch30.8%24.2%0.4%Volatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure

Emerging corridor signals

RankDestinationHS6SignalMarket importsCurrent shareStrength
1Argentina (ARG)721220new$474.6K21.7%100
2Argentina (ARG)870193new$20.5M1.1%100
3Antigua and Barbuda (ATG)850421new$609.1K35.8%100
4Canada (CAN)380630new$7.9M1.3%100
5Austria (AUT)310420new$34.3M0.5%100
6Bangladesh (BGD)722592new$1.0M11.6%100
7Austria (AUT)870530new$20.6M2.1%100
8Austria (AUT)870600new$17.6M0.6%100
9Bahamas (BHS)850433new$3.7M17.8%100
10Belize (BLZ)721041new$588.1K45.6%100

Market opportunity signals

RankMarketHS6Buyer importsAddressable 3-year valueCurrent shareSignal
1China (CHN)260111$111.0B$119.1B0%Growing (-2.6%)
2USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA)270900$165.0B$115.5B0%Declining (+1.1%)
3China (CHN)270900$291.6B$98.6B0%Accelerating (-6.7%)
4India (IND)270900$130.1B$72.9B0%Slowing (-0.5%)
5China (CHN)710812$80.8B$64.8B0.1%Growing (+2.4%)
6China (CHN)120190$47.8B$62.4B0%Slowing (-13.5%)
7China (CHN)854231$158.0B$59.2B13.1%Accelerating (+10.5%)
8USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA)851712$53.9B$53.4B0.5%Stable (-8.8%)

How to read this page

Separate reported scale from calculated context.

Reported exports, imports, trade balance, sector rows, destination rows, and annual history describe merchandise trade observations for the stated country and year.

CAGR, shares, concentration measures, tariff context, exposure shares, and momentum are calculated indicators built from the available observations. They help organize research but are not additional reported trade or forecasts.

Coverage runs from 1995 through 2024 for this profile. Missing values are shown as Not reported. Read the full methodology ↗

Reported observations

OECD BIMTS merchandise trade values are the primary series for this view.

Calculated indicators

Growth, share, HHI, tariff, and exposure fields are derived from available reported values.

Coverage limits

Unavailable values remain unavailable. No company sales, shipment records, or forecasts are implied.

Questions about this profile

Republic of Korea export capability, in context

Short answers for readers comparing country export scale, partner breadth, and calculated trade indicators.

What does the Republic of Korea export profile measure?

It combines reported exports, imports, history, destinations, HS2 sectors, partner context, and calculated indicators for Republic of Korea.

What is the latest reported export value for Republic of Korea?

Republic of Korea recorded $719.1B in reported exports in 2024.

Which markets receive the most exports from Republic of Korea?

China leads by reported export value at $165.3B in 2024. Five destination lanes are highlighted.

Which sectors lead Republic of Korea's exports?

Electrical machinery leads by reported value at $240.4B. Five HS2 chapters are highlighted.

How many years of Republic of Korea trade history are available?

This sample contains 30 observed annual rows covering 1995 through 2024. Missing observations are not estimated.

Are the growth and exposure values forecasts?

No. They are calculated or classified from reported observations, not forecasts or market-access guarantees.

Continue your research

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Compare countries, products, sectors, and routes using the available trade evidence and definitions.

Data source

OECD trade statistics with CEPII context

OECD (2025), Balanced international merchandise trade statistics (BIMTS) - HS2017-6D, OECD Data Explorer (accessed on 2026-08-28). OECD BIMTS is the primary trade series for this view. Supporting bilateral trade context uses CEPII BACI bilateral trade flows (202601) under Etalab 2.0 Open Licence. Yugalinks presents derived views of reported observations and calculated indicators. Data terms: OECD Terms & Conditions.