This article needs to be updated.(March 2024) |
The economy of South Korea is a highly developed mixed economy. By nominal GDP, the economy was worth ₩2.61 quadrillion (US$1.87 trillion). It has the 4th largest economy in Asia and the 12th largest in the world as of 2025. South Korea is notable for its rapid economic development from an underdeveloped nation to a developed, high-income country in a few decades. This economic growth has been described as the Miracle on the Han River, which has allowed it to join the OECD and the G20. It is included in the group of Next Eleven countries as having the potential to play a dominant role in the global economy by the middle of the 21st century. Among OECD members, South Korea has a highly efficient and strong social security system; social expenditure stood at roughly 15.5% of GDP. South Korea spends around 4.93% of GDP on advanced research and development across various sectors of the economy.
![]() Seoul, the capital and largest city of South Korea | |
Currency | South Korean won (KRW, ₩) |
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Fiscal year | Calendar year |
Trade organizations | APEC, WTO, RCEP, OECD, G-20 |
Country group |
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Statistics | |
Population | 51,628,117 (2022) |
GDP |
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GDP rank |
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GDP growth |
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GDP per capita |
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GDP per capita rank |
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GDP by sector |
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Inflation (CPI) | 2.5% (2024) |
Population below poverty line | 14.4% (2016 est.) |
Gini coefficient | |
Human Development Index |
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Corruption Perceptions Index | |
Labor force |
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Labor force by occupation |
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Unemployment |
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Average gross salary | 3,796,000 ₩ / US$2,707 monthly (August 2024) |
Average net salary | 3,137,217 ₩ / US$2,237 monthly (August 2024) |
Main industries |
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External | |
Exports | |
Export goods |
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Main export partners |
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Imports | |
Import goods |
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Main import partners |
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FDI stock |
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Current account | |
Gross external debt | ![]() |
Public finances | |
Government debt | ![]() |
Foreign reserves | |
Budget balance | -3.5% of GDP (2020) |
Revenues | $428.7 billion (2020) |
Expenses | $456.5 billion (2020) |
Economic aid | ODA, $2.4 Billion (donor) (2018) aid to North Korea excluded |
Credit rating |
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All values, unless otherwise stated, are in US dollars. |
South Korea's education system and the establishment of a motivated and educated populace were largely responsible for spurring the country's high technology boom and economic development. South Korea began to adapt an export-oriented economic strategy to fuel its economy. In 2022, South Korea was the ninth largest exporter and ninth largest importer in the world. The Bank of Korea and the Korea Development Institute periodically release major economic indicators and economic trends of the economy of South Korea.
Renowned financial organisations, such as the International Monetary Fund, note the resilience of the South Korean economy against various economic crises. They cite the country's economic advantages as reasons for this resilience, including low state debt and high fiscal reserves that can quickly be mobilised to address any expected financial emergencies. Other financial organisations, like the World Bank, describe South Korea as one of the fastest-growing major economies of the next generation, along with BRICS and Indonesia. South Korea was one of the few developed countries that was able to avoid a recession during the Great Recession. Its economic growth rate reached 6.2% in 2010, a recovery from economic growth rates of 2.3% in 2008 and 0.2% in 2009 during the Great Recession. The South Korean economy again recovered with a record surplus of US$70.7 billion at the end of 2013, up 47 percent growth from 2012. This growth contrasted with the uncertainties of global economic turmoil, with the country's major economic output being technology products exports.
Despite the South Korean economy's high growth and structural stability, South Korea is experiencing damage to its credit rating in the stock market due to North Korea in times of military crises. The recurring conflict affects the financial markets of its economy. The South Korean economy faces challenges due to a declining and ageing population, with a fertility rate among the lowest in the world.
History
Overview
Following the Korean War, South Korea remained a country with less developed markets for a little more than a decade. The growth of the industrial sector was the principal stimulus to South Korea's economic development. In 1986, manufacturing industries accounted for approximately 30 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) and 25 percent of the work force. Due to strong domestic encouragement and some foreign aid, Seoul's industrialists introduced modern technologies into outmoded or newly built facilities, increased the production of commodities—especially those for sale in foreign markets—and plowed the proceeds back into further industrial expansion. As a result, industry altered South Korea's landscape, drawing millions of labourers to urban manufacturing centres.
A downturn in the South Korean economy in 1989 spurred by a decrease in exports and foreign orders caused concern in the industrial sector. Ministry of Trade and Industry analysts stated that decreased export performance resulted from structural problems, including an overly strong won, increased wages and labour costs, frequent strikes, and higher interest rates. The result was an increase in inventories and cutbacks in production at a number of electronics, automobile, and textile manufacturers, as well as at the smaller firms that supplied the parts. Factory automation systems were introduced to reduce dependence on labour, to boost productivity with a smaller work force, and to improve competitiveness.
Colonial period
Japan colonized Korea, officially annexing it on 22 August 1910 as the Province of Choson.: 24 Japan encouraged an inflow of Japanese capital to Korea's less developed economy.: 24 A large majority of major firms in Korea became Japanese owned and operated as a result, with key positions reserved for Japanese.: 24 Koreans were permitted to work in menial roles under harsh labor conditions.: 24 Most of Korea's coal, iron, and crop production was shipped to Japan.: 24
Rapid growth from 1960s to 1980s


Following the coup that brought General Park Chung Hee to power in 1961, which at first caused political instability and an economic crisis, a protectionist economic policy began, pushing a bourgeoisie that developed in the shadow of the State to reactivate the internal market. To promote development, a policy of export-oriented industrialisation was applied, closing the entry into the country of all kinds of foreign products, except raw materials. Agrarian reforms were carried out and Park nationalised the financial system to swell the powerful state arm, whose intervention in the economy was through five-year plans.
The spearhead was the chaebols, diversified family conglomerates such as Hyundai, Samsung, and LG Corporation, which received state incentives such as tax breaks, legality for their exploitation system and cheap or free financing: the state bank facilitated the planning of concentrated loans by item according to each five-year plan, and by economic group selected to lead it.
South Korea received donations from the United States due to the Cold War, and foreign economic and military support continued for some years. Chaebols started to dominate the domestic economy and, eventually, began to become internationally competitive. Under these chaebols, workers began to see their wages and working conditions improve, which increased domestic consumption. By the 1980s, the country rose from low income to middle income.
South Korea's real GDP expanded by an average of more than 8 percent per year, from US$2.7 billion in 1962 to US$230 billion in 1989, breaking the trillion dollar mark in the early 2000s. Nominal GDP per capita grew from $103.88 in 1962 to $5,438.24 in 1989, reaching the $20,000 milestone in 2006. The manufacturing sector grew from 14.3 percent of the GNP in 1962 to 30.3 percent in 1987. Commodity trade volume rose from US$480 million in 1962 to a projected US$127.9 billion in 1990. The ratio of domestic savings to GNP grew from 3.3 percent in 1962 to 35.8 percent in 1989. In the early 1960s, South Korea's rate of growth exceeded North Korea's rate of growth in most industrial areas.
The most significant factor in rapid industrialisation was the adoption of an outward-looking strategy in the early 1960s. This strategy was particularly well-suited to that time because of South Korea's low savings rate and small domestic market. The strategy promoted economic growth through labour-intensive manufactured exports, in which South Korea could develop a competitive advantage. Government initiatives played an important role in this process. Through the model of export-led industrialisation, the South Korean government incentivised corporations to develop new technology and upgrade productive efficiency to compete the global market. By adhering to state regulations and demands, firms were awarded subsidisation and investment support to develop their export markets in the evolving international arena. In addition, the inflow of foreign capital was encouraged to supplement the shortage of domestic savings. These efforts enabled South Korea to achieve growth in exports and subsequent increases in income.
Beginning in 1973, South Korea's government used its National Investment Fund and the Korea Development Bank to invest large amounts of money into what Park Chung Hee's government viewed as the six strategic industries: steel, non-ferrous metals, shipbuilding, industrial machinery, electronics, and petrochemicals.: 136 This developmental approach was frequently criticized at the time from outside Korea, including by the World Bank.: 136 The strategy was successful and ultimately also helped develop companies like Samsung and POSCO and reduced input costs for production in downstream industries as well.: 136
By emphasising the industrial sector, Seoul's export-oriented development strategy left the rural sector barely touched. The steel and shipbuilding industries in particular played key roles in developing South Korea's economy during this time. Except for mining, most industries were located in the urban areas of the northwest and southeast. Heavy industries were located in the south of the country. Factories in Seoul contributed over 25 percent of all manufacturing value-added in 1978; taken together with factories in the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, factories in the Seoul area produced 46 percent of all manufacturing that year. Factories in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province employed 48 percent of the nation's 2.1 million factory workers. Increased income disparity between the industrial and agricultural sectors became a problem by the 1970s despite government efforts to raise farm income and improve rural areas

In the early 1980s, in order to control inflation, a conservative monetary policy and tight fiscal measures were adopted. Growth of the money supply was reduced from the 30 percent level of the 1970s to 15 percent. During this time, Seoul froze its budget for a short while. Government intervention in the economy was greatly reduced and policies on imports and foreign investment were liberalised to promote competition. To reduce the imbalance between rural and urban sectors, Seoul expanded investments in public projects, such as roads and communications facilities, while further promoting farm mechanisation.
The measures implemented early in the decade, coupled with significant improvements in the world economy, helped South Korea regain its lost momentum. South Korea achieved an average of 9.2 percent real growth between 1982 and 1987 and 12.5 percent between 1986 and 1988. The double-digit inflation of the 1970s was brought under control. Wholesale price inflation averaged 2.1 percent per year from 1980 through 1988; consumer prices increased by an average of 4.7 percent annually. Seoul achieved its first significant surplus in its balance of payments in 1986 and recorded a US$7.7 billion and a US$11.4 billion surplus in 1987 and 1988 respectively. This development permitted South Korea to begin reducing its level of foreign debt. The trade surplus for 1989, however, was only US$4.6 billion, and a small negative balance was projected for 1990.
1990s and the Asian Financial Crisis

For the first half of the 1990s, the South Korean economy continued a stable and strong growth in both private consumption and GDP. During the 1997 Asian financial crisis, after several other Asian currencies were attacked by speculators, the Korean won started to depreciate in October 1997. The problem was exacerbated due to non-performing loans at many of Korea's merchant banks. By December 1997, the IMF had approved a US$21 billion loan, that would be part of a US$58.4 billion bailout plan. By January 1998, the government had shut down a third of Korea's merchant banks. Throughout 1998, Korea's economy would continue to shrink quarterly at an average rate of −6.65%. and South Korean chaebol Daewoo was dismantled by the government in 1999 due to debt problems. General Motors managed to purchase the motors division. Indian conglomerate Tata Group purchased the trucks and heavy vehicles division of Daewoo.
Actions by the South Korean government and debt swaps by international lenders have contained the country's financial problems. Much of South Korea's recovery from the 1997 Asian financial crisis can be attributed to labour adjustments (i.e. a dynamic and productive labour market with flexible wage rates) and alternative funding sources. By the first quarter of 1999, GDP growth had risen to 5.4%, and strong growth thereafter combined with deflationary pressure on the currency led to a yearly growth of 10.5%. In December 1999, President Kim Dae-jung declared the currency crisis over.
2000s
South Korea's economy has moved away from a centrally planned, government-directed investment model toward a more market-oriented one. These economic reforms, pushed by President Kim Dae-jung, helped South Korea maintain one of Asia's few expanding economies,[citation needed] with growth rates of 10.8% in 1999 and 9.2% in 2000. Growth fell back to 3.3% in 2001 because of the slowing global economy, decreased exports, and perceptions that corporate and financial reforms had stalled.
After the bounce back from the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the economy continued strong growth in 2000 with a GDP growth of 9.08%. However, the South Korean economy was affected by the September 11 attacks. The slowing global economy, falling exports, and the perception that corporate and financial reforms had stalled caused growth to decrease to 3.8% in 2001 Thanks to industrialisation GDP per hour worked (labour output) more than tripled from US$2.80 in 1963 to US$10.00 in 1989. More recently the economy stabilised and maintained a growth rate of between 4–5% from 2003 onwards.
Led by industry and construction, growth in 2002 was 5.8%, despite anemic global growth. The restructuring of chaebols, bank privatisation, and the creation of a more liberalised economy—with a mechanism for bankrupt firms to exit the market—remain an unfinished reform task. Growth slowed in 2003, but production expanded 5% in 2006, due to popular demand for key export products such as HDTVs and mobile phones.[citation needed]
Like most industrialised economies, South Korea experienced setbacks during the Great Recession. Growth fell by 3.4% in the fourth quarter of 2008 from the previous quarter, the first negative quarterly growth in 10 years, with year on year quarterly growth continuing to be negative into 2009. Many sectors of the economy at the time reported declines, with manufacturing dropping 25.6% as of January 2009, and consumer goods sales dropping 3.1%. Exports in autos and semiconductors, two pillars of the economy, shrank 55.9% and 46.9% respectively, while exports overall fell by a record 33.8% in January, and 18.3% in February 2009 year on year. As in the 1997 Asian financial crisis, Korean currency also experienced massive fluctuations, declining by 34% against the US dollar. Annual growth in the economy slowed to 2.3% in 2008, and was expected to drop to as low as −4.5% by Goldman Sachs, but South Korea was able to limit the downturn to a standstill at 0.2% in 2009. Despite the Great Recession, the South Korean economy, helped by timely stimulus measures and strong domestic consumption of products that compensated for decreased exports, was able to avoid a recession unlike most industrialised economies, posting positive economic growth for two consecutive years of the crisis. In 2010, South Korea made an economic rebound with a growth rate of 6.1%, signaling a return of the economy to pre-crisis levels. South Korea's exports recorded $424 billion in the first eleven months of the year 2010, already higher than its export in the whole year of 2008. The South Korean economy of the 21st century, as a Next Eleven economy, is expected to grow from 3.9% to 4.2% annually between 2011 and 2030, similar to growth rates of developing countries such as Brazil or Russia.

The South Korean government signed the Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement (KAFTA) on 5 December 2013, with the Australian government seeking to benefit its industries—including automotive, services, and resources and energy—and position itself alongside competitors, such as the U.S. and ASEAN. South Korea is Australia's third largest export market and fourth largest trading partner with a 2012 trade value of A$32 billion. The agreement contains an Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) clause that permits legal action from South Korean corporations against the Australian government if their trade rights are infringed upon.
The government cut the work week from six days to five in phases, from 2004 to 2011, depending on the size of the firm. The number of public holidays was expanded to 16 by 2013.
South Korean economy decreased in the first quarter of 2019, which happened to be its worst drop since the Great Recession. GDP declined a seasonally adjusted 0.3 percent from the previous quarter.
South Korea's prices rose more than 6 percent in July compared with last year, the fastest jump in nearly a quarter century.
In July 2022, South Korea's Consumer price index rose 6.3 percent, the highest rate since November 1998.
High-tech industries in the 1990s and 2000s
In 1990, South Korean manufacturers planned a shift in future production plans toward high-technology industries. In June 1989, panels of government officials, scholars, and business leaders held planning sessions on the production of such goods as new materials, mechatronics—including industrial robotics—bioengineering, microelectronics, fine chemistry, and aerospace. This shift in emphasis, however, did not mean an immediate decline in heavy industries such as automobile and ship production, which had dominated the economy in the 1980s.[citation needed]
South Korea relies upon exports to fuel the growth of its economy, with finished products such as electronics, textiles, ships, automobiles, and steel being some of its most important exports. Although the import market has liberalised in recent years, the agricultural market has remained protectionist due to disparities in the price of domestic agricultural products such as rice with the international market. As of 2005, the price of rice in South Korea was four times that of the average price of rice on the international market, and it was believed that opening the agricultural market would affect South Korean agricultural sector negatively. In late 2004, however, an agreement was reached with the WTO in which South Korean rice imports will gradually increase from 4% to 8% of consumption by 2014. In addition, up to 30% of imported rice will be made available directly to consumers by 2010, where previously imported rice was only used for processed foods. Following 2014, the South Korean rice market will be fully opened.[citation needed]
South Korea today is known as the Launchpad of a mature mobile market, where developers thrive in a market where few technology constraints exist. There is a growing trend of inventions of new types of media or apps, using the 4G and 5G internet infrastructure in South Korea. South Korea today has the infrastructure to meet a density of population and culture that has the capability to create strong local particularities.
The economy after the COVID-19 pandemic
South Korea faced a turning point in its economy in 2023. With the constant growth of mainland China's manufacturing industry and the impact of COVID-19, South Korea's manufacturing sector is experiencing a consistent decline. According to SP Global, South Korea's export of manufactured goods to mainland China, one of the biggest trading partners of South Korea, had decreased by 4.4% in the fourth quarter of 2022 and by 31% in January 2023. On the other hand, their primary electronic manufacturing industry is facing a downturn. While information and communication technology maintained 34% of South Korea's total 2022 exports, at the end of the year, it decreased to 24%. The government had to incur a massive fiscal spending in 2020, leading a rise in the fiscal deficit as projected in their budget. Moreover, their forecasted debt-to-GDP ratio jumped to 41.2% of GDP in 2020 from 37.1% of GDP in 2019. In 2021, the government unveiled a $29 billion extra budget to aid small businesses and boost employment. In 2024, the government forecast a debt-to-GDP ratio was 47.4% of GDP.
With downturns in many manufacturing industries, South Korea has been facing a recession. Many economists state the reason for industries' slowdown as deteriorating global conditions. The inflation rate in South Korea is regularly rising, and the problems in the domestic economy, such as household debt, population problems, and productivity problems, are the key fiscal and monetary factors that hold South Korea's economic growth.
Due to the sudden evolution of COVID-19, private consumption decreased, and a bottleneck in the supply sector occurred. With this situation, the Bank of Korea indicated that the consumer inflation rate rose about three percent after COVID-19 evolved. Assuming that South Korea's interest rate was low compared to other countries, raising house prices and household debt became one of the problems in South Korea's economy. To stabilise the inflated economy, the government has passed the "Korean New Deal Program" to invest 144 billion dollars. This expansionary fiscal policy promoted private consumption and increased the number of jobs. This expansionary fiscal stimulus is designed to recover the economic and social impact of COVID-19 from the existing climate and environmental dangers. The New Deal policy is divided explicitly into healthcare and green industries.
South Korea's Ministry of Economy and Finance asserted the New Growth Strategy 4.0 in August 2023. The New Growth Strategy suggests projects for South Korea's long-term industry growth. The South Korean government advocates these policies as a New Growth 4.0 project, which aims to generate tangible outcomes in the future by setting the focus of policy and investments towards emerging industries. To achieve these goals, the strategy outlines the following key guidelines:
- Foster AI semiconductor industries and build up a collaborative ecosystem between businesses.
- Dominate the global market of the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) industry.
- Secure Clean Hydrogen Production Technology via Water Electrolysis.
- Advance Autonomous Driving Technologies.
- Promote the Battery Re-manufacturing and Reuse Markets.
- Expand the Private Sector-led My Data Based Services.
- Streamline the Ordering Process of Research Equipment or Facilities to Alleviate Administrative Burdens.
Besides this, South Korea is one of the countries with excellent healthcare systems, biomedical technology, and AI technology. While South Korea's value in the medical industry is projected at around 6.7 billion dollars, the medical technology market is projected to reach 11.5 billion dollars. The annual projected growth rate of the medical industry is over 6%, which indicates a bright future for the industry. Many economists suggest that by adopting AI technology, South Korea will be a bio-medical industry-leading country. An article about the future data-driven healthcare industry in South Korea suggests that AI technology helps the medical industry provide customised medical services for patients and can utilise the benefits and costs.
In April 2025, the incorporation of Korean government bonds into the "World Government Bond Index" was postponed from November this year to April next year. After being listed as a prospective candidate for incorporation in September 2022, it was successfully included in the regular market classification report in the second half of October 2024.
Economic inequality
According to data from 2010, low-income earners (those earning 12 million won or less) make up 37.8% of South Korea's labour force. Conversely, the highest income earners (those earning 100 million won or more) make up 1.4% of the labour force.
According to a survey in 2019, among young South Koreans, 89.3% of women and 81.7% of men agreed with the statement that "people born into poverty can never compete with [those] born into wealth".Data
The following table shows the main economic indicators in 1980–2021 (with IMF staff estimates in 2022–2027). Inflation below 5% is in green.
Year | GDP (in Bil. US$PPP) | GDP per capita (in US$ PPP) | GDP (in Bil. US$nominal) | GDP per capita (in US$ nominal) | GDP growth (real) | Inflation rate (in Percent) | Unemployment (in Percent) | Government debt (in % of GDP) |
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1980 | 82.7 | 2,169.4 | 65.4 | 1,714.6 | ![]() | ![]() | 5.2% | n/a |
1981 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | n/a |
1982 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | n/a |
1983 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | n/a |
1984 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | n/a |
1985 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | n/a |
1986 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | n/a |
1987 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | n/a |
1988 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | n/a |
1989 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | n/a |
1990 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
1991 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
1992 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
1993 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
1994 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
1995 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
1996 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
1997 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
1998 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
1999 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
2000 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
2001 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
2002 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
2003 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
2004 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
2005 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
2006 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
2007 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
2008 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
2009 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
2010 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
2011 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
2012 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
2013 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
2014 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
2015 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
2016 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
2017 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
2018 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
2019 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
2020 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
2021 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
2022 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
2023 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
2024 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Sectors
Shipbuilding

During the 1970s and 1980s, South Korea became a leading producer of ships, including oil supertankers, and oil-drilling platforms. The country's major shipbuilder was Hyundai, which built a 1-million-ton capacity drydock at Ulsan in the mid-1970s. Daewoo joined the shipbuilding industry in 1980 and finished a 1.2-million-ton facility at Okpo on Geoje Island, south of Busan, in mid-1981. The industry declined in the mid-1980s because of the oil glut and because of a worldwide recession. There was a sharp decrease in new orders in the late 1980s; new orders for 1988 totaled 3 million gross tons valued at US$1.9 billion, decreases from the previous year of 17.8 percent and 4.4 percent, respectively. These declines were caused by labour unrest, Seoul's unwillingness to provide financial assistance, and Tokyo's new low-interest export financing in support of Japanese shipbuilders. However, the South Korean shipping industry was expected to expand in the early 1990s because older ships in world fleets needed replacing. South Korea eventually became the world's dominant shipbuilder with a 50.6% share of the global shipbuilding market as of 2008. Notable Korean shipbuilders are Hyundai Heavy Industries, Samsung Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean, and the now bankrupt STX Offshore & Shipbuilding.
Electronics
Electronics is one of South Korea's main industries. During the 1980s through the 2000s, South Korean companies such as Samsung, LG, and SK led South Korea's growth. In 2017, 17.1% of South Korea's exports were semiconductors produced by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. Samsung and LG are also major producers in electronic devices such as televisions, smartphones, display, and computers.
Automobile

The automobile industry was one of South Korea's major growth and export industries in the 1980s. By the late 1980s, the capacity of the South Korean motor industry had increased more than fivefold since 1984; it exceeded 1 million units in 1988. Total investment in cars and car-component manufacturing was over US$3 billion in 1989. Total production (including buses and trucks) for 1988 totaled 1.1 million units, a 10.6 percent increase over 1987, and grew to an estimated 1.3 million vehicles (predominantly passenger cars) in 1989. Almost 263,000 passenger cars were produced in 1985—a figure that grew to approximately 846,000 units in 1989. In 1988 automobile exports totaled 576,134 units, of which 480,119 units (83.3 percent) were sent to the United States. Throughout most of the late 1980s, much of the growth of South Korea's automobile industry was the result of a surge in exports; 1989 exports, however, declined 28.5 percent from 1988. This decline reflected sluggish car sales to the United States, especially at the less expensive end of the market, and labour strife at home. South Korea today has developed into one of the world's largest automobile producers. The Hyundai Motor Group is South Korea's largest automaker in terms of revenue, production units and worldwide presence.
Mining
Most of the mineral deposits on the Korean Peninsula are located in North Korea, with the South only possessing an abundance of tungsten and graphite. Coal, iron ore, and molybdenum are found in South Korea, but not in large quantities and mining operations are on a small scale. Much of South Korea's minerals and ore are imported from other countries. Most South Korean coal is anthracite that is only used for heating homes and boilers.
In 2019, South Korea was the 3rd largest world producer of bismuth, the 4th largest world producer of rhenium, and the 10th largest world producer of sulfur.
Construction

Construction has been an important South Korean export industry since the early 1960s, and remains a critical source of foreign currency and invisible export earnings. By 1981, overseas construction projects, most of them in the Middle East, accounted for 60 percent of the work undertaken by South Korean construction companies. Contracts that year were valued at US$13.7 billion. In 1988, however, overseas construction contracts totaled only US$2.6 billion (orders from the Middle East were US$1.2 billion), a 1 percent increase over the previous year, while new orders for domestic construction projects totaled US$13.8 billion, an 8.8 percent increase over 1987. South Korean construction companies therefore concentrated on the rapidly growing domestic market in the late 1980s. By 1989, there were signs of a revival of the overseas construction market: the Dong Ah Construction Company signed a US$5.3 billion contract with Libya to build the second phase (and other subsequent phases) of Libya's Great Man-Made River Project, with a projected cost of US$27 billion when all 5 phases were completed. South Korean construction companies signed over US$7 billion of overseas contracts in 1989. South Korea's largest construction companies include Samsung C&T Corporation, which built some of the highest buildings and most noteworthy skyscrapers such as three consecutively the world's tallest buildings: the Petronas Towers, Taipei 101, and the Burj Khalifa.
Armaments

During the 1960s, South Korea was dependent on the United States to supply its armed forces, but after the elaboration of President Richard M. Nixon's policy of Vietnamisation in the early 1970s, South Korea began to manufacture its own weapons.
Since the 1980s, South Korea has begun exporting military equipment and technology to boost its international trade. Some of its key military export projects include the T-155 Firtina self-propelled artillery for Turkey; the K11 air-burst rifle for the United Arab Emirates; the Bangabandhu class guided-missile frigate for Bangladesh; fleet tankers such as Sirius class for the navies of Australia, New Zealand, and Venezuela; Makassar class amphibious assault ships for Indonesia; and the KT-1 trainer aircraft for Turkey, Indonesia, and Peru.
South Korea also exports various core components of other countries' advanced military hardware. Those hardware include modern aircraft such as F-15K fighters and AH-64 attack helicopters which will be used by Singapore, whose airframes will be built by Korea Aerospace Industries in a joint-production deal with Boeing. In other major outsourcing and joint-production deals, South Korea has jointly produced the S-300 air defence system of Russia via Samsung Group,[failed verification] and will facilitate the sales of Mistral class amphibious assault ships to Russia that will be produced by STX Corporation. The deal was cancelled in 2014 due to Russia's actions in Ukraine and the ships were sold to Egypt instead. South Korea's defence exports were $1.03 billion in 2008 and $1.17 billion in 2009.
Tourism
In 2012, 11.1 million foreign tourists visited South Korea, making it one of the most visited countries in the world, up from 8.5 million in 2010. Many tourists from all around Asia visit South Korea which has been due to the rise of the Korean Wave (Hallyu).
Seoul is the principal tourist destination for visitors; popular tourist destinations outside of Seoul include the major coastal city of Busan, the Seorak-san national park, the historic city of Gyeongju, and subtropical Jeju Island.
Trade statistics
Product | Percentage | Exports value |
---|---|---|
Integrated circuits | 17.7% | $116 (in billion) |
Cars | 6.85% | $44.7 (in billion) |
Refined petroleum | 5.57% | $36.4 (in billion) |
Motor vehicle parts | 2.95% | $19.3 (in billion) |
Office machine parts | 2.76% | $18 (in billion) |
Passenger and cargo ships | 2.71% | $17.71 (in billion) |
Telephones | 2.46% | $16.1 (in billion) |
Machinery | 1.78% | $11.6 (in billion) |
Blank audio media | 1.66% | $10.8 (in billion) |
Others | 55.6% | $362.39 (in billion) |
Product | Percentage | Imports value |
---|---|---|
Crude petroleum | 10.5% | $60.6 (in billion) |
Integrated circuits | 8.21% | $41.4 (in billion) |
Petroleum gas | 4.25% | $24.5 (in billion) |
Refined petroleum | 4.2% | $24.3 (in billion) |
Photo lab equipment | 2.88% | $16.6 (in billion) |
Coal briquettes | 2.27% | $13.1 (in billion) |
Cars | 2.09% | $12 (in billion) |
Machinery | 1.37% | $7.9 (in billion) |
Computers | 1.32% | $7.6 (in billion) |
Others | 62.91% | $370 (in billion) |
|
|
|
|
Mergers and acquisitions
Since 1991, there has been a steady upwards trend in South Korean M&A until 2018 with only a short break around 2004. Since 1991, around 18,300 deals in, into or out of South Korea have been announced, which sum up to a total value of over 941 bil. USD. 2016 has been the year with the largest deal value (1,818 in bil. USD) and the most deals (82,3).
Target industries are distributed very evenly with no industry taking a larger share than 10%. The top three target industries are electronics (9.7%), semiconductors (9.1%) and metals and mining (7.7%). However, over 51% of the acquiring companies originate from the financial and brokerage sector.[citation needed]
See also
- Korean Wave
- List of banks in South Korea
- List of companies of South Korea
- List of largest companies of South Korea
- List of South Korean regions by GDP
- Agriculture in South Korea
- Poverty in South Korea
- Retailing in South Korea
- Trade unions in South Korea
- Unemployment in South Korea
- Work–life balance in South Korea
- Youth unemployment in South Korea
- Small and medium-sized enterprises in South Korea
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This article needs to be updated Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information March 2024 The economy of South Korea is a highly developed mixed economy By nominal GDP the economy was worth 2 61 quadrillion US 1 87 trillion It has the 4th largest economy in Asia and the 12th largest in the world as of 2025 South Korea is notable for its rapid economic development from an underdeveloped nation to a developed high income country in a few decades This economic growth has been described as the Miracle on the Han River which has allowed it to join the OECD and the G20 It is included in the group of Next Eleven countries as having the potential to play a dominant role in the global economy by the middle of the 21st century Among OECD members South Korea has a highly efficient and strong social security system social expenditure stood at roughly 15 5 of GDP South Korea spends around 4 93 of GDP on advanced research and development across various sectors of the economy Economy of South KoreaSeoul the capital and largest city of South KoreaCurrencySouth Korean won KRW Fiscal yearCalendar yearTrade organizationsAPEC WTO RCEP OECD G 20Country groupAdvanced economy High income economyStatisticsPopulation51 628 117 2022 GDP 1 950 trillion nominal 2025 3 390 trillion PPP 2025 GDP rank12th nominal 2025 14th PPP 2024 GDP growth1 4 2023 2 3 2024 GDP per capita 37 672 nominal 2025 65 580 PPP 2025 GDP per capita rank28th nominal 2025 26th PPP 2024 GDP by sectoragriculture 1 6 industry 31 6 services 58 4 2023 est Inflation CPI 2 5 2024 Population below poverty line14 4 2016 est Gini coefficient35 5 medium 2017 Human Development Index0 929 very high 2022 19th 0 841 very high IHDI 2022 20th Corruption Perceptions Index63 out of 100 points 2023 32nd rank Labor force28 466 640 2020 ILO 65 8 employment rate 2020 Labor force by occupationagriculture 4 8 industry 24 6 services 70 6 2017 est Unemployment3 7 September 2020 11 5 youth unemployment 15 to 24 year olds September 2020 Average gross salary3 796 000 US 2 707 monthly August 2024 Average net salary3 137 217 US 2 237 monthly August 2024 Main industriesElectronicstelecommunicationsautomobile productionchemicalsshipbuildingsteelExternalExports 683 7 billion 2024 Export goodsIntegrated Circuits 15 35 Machinery 12 81 Vehicles and their parts 11 34 Mineral Fuels 7 01 Plastics 5 86 Iron and Steel 4 23 Instruments and Apparatus 4 16 Organic Chemicals 3 85 Others 35 39 2019 Main export partners China 24 6 Hong Kong 5 1 United States 18 7 ASEAN 16 7 European Union 10 0 Taiwan 5 0 Japan 4 3 2024 Imports 632 1 billion 2024 Import goodsMineral Fuels 25 01 Machinery 9 17 Integrated Circuits 7 08 Instruments and Apparatus 4 88 Vehicles and their parts 3 23 Ores Slags and Ash 3 13 Iron and Steel 3 02 Organic Chemicals 2 62 Others 41 86 2019 Main import partners China 22 5 ASEAN 12 5 United States 11 4 European Union 10 3 Japan 7 6 Saudi Arabia 5 0 Taiwan 4 8 Australia 4 7 2024 FDI stock 230 6 billion 31 December 2017 est Abroad 344 7 billion 31 December 2017 est Current account 68 billion 2020 Gross external debt 542 4 billion 2020 Public financesGovernment debt39 8 of GDP 2020 Foreign reserves 458 700 billion July 2021 est Budget balance 3 5 of GDP 2020 Revenues 428 7 billion 2020 Expenses 456 5 billion 2020 Economic aidODA 2 4 Billion donor 2018 aid to North Korea excludedCredit ratingStandard amp Poor s AA Domestic AA Foreign AA T amp C Assessment Outlook Stable Moody s Aa2 Outlook Stable Fitch AA Outlook StableAll values unless otherwise stated are in US dollars South Korea s education system and the establishment of a motivated and educated populace were largely responsible for spurring the country s high technology boom and economic development South Korea began to adapt an export oriented economic strategy to fuel its economy In 2022 South Korea was the ninth largest exporter and ninth largest importer in the world The Bank of Korea and the Korea Development Institute periodically release major economic indicators and economic trends of the economy of South Korea Renowned financial organisations such as the International Monetary Fund note the resilience of the South Korean economy against various economic crises They cite the country s economic advantages as reasons for this resilience including low state debt and high fiscal reserves that can quickly be mobilised to address any expected financial emergencies Other financial organisations like the World Bank describe South Korea as one of the fastest growing major economies of the next generation along with BRICS and Indonesia South Korea was one of the few developed countries that was able to avoid a recession during the Great Recession Its economic growth rate reached 6 2 in 2010 a recovery from economic growth rates of 2 3 in 2008 and 0 2 in 2009 during the Great Recession The South Korean economy again recovered with a record surplus of US 70 7 billion at the end of 2013 up 47 percent growth from 2012 This growth contrasted with the uncertainties of global economic turmoil with the country s major economic output being technology products exports Despite the South Korean economy s high growth and structural stability South Korea is experiencing damage to its credit rating in the stock market due to North Korea in times of military crises The recurring conflict affects the financial markets of its economy The South Korean economy faces challenges due to a declining and ageing population with a fertility rate among the lowest in the world HistoryOverview Following the Korean War South Korea remained a country with less developed markets for a little more than a decade The growth of the industrial sector was the principal stimulus to South Korea s economic development In 1986 manufacturing industries accounted for approximately 30 percent of the gross domestic product GDP and 25 percent of the work force Due to strong domestic encouragement and some foreign aid Seoul s industrialists introduced modern technologies into outmoded or newly built facilities increased the production of commodities especially those for sale in foreign markets and plowed the proceeds back into further industrial expansion As a result industry altered South Korea s landscape drawing millions of labourers to urban manufacturing centres A downturn in the South Korean economy in 1989 spurred by a decrease in exports and foreign orders caused concern in the industrial sector Ministry of Trade and Industry analysts stated that decreased export performance resulted from structural problems including an overly strong won increased wages and labour costs frequent strikes and higher interest rates The result was an increase in inventories and cutbacks in production at a number of electronics automobile and textile manufacturers as well as at the smaller firms that supplied the parts Factory automation systems were introduced to reduce dependence on labour to boost productivity with a smaller work force and to improve competitiveness Colonial period Japan colonized Korea officially annexing it on 22 August 1910 as the Province of Choson 24 Japan encouraged an inflow of Japanese capital to Korea s less developed economy 24 A large majority of major firms in Korea became Japanese owned and operated as a result with key positions reserved for Japanese 24 Koreans were permitted to work in menial roles under harsh labor conditions 24 Most of Korea s coal iron and crop production was shipped to Japan 24 Rapid growth from 1960s to 1980s Growth of the South Korean economy 1961 2015 Economy of South Korea compared to North Korea North Korea began to lose the economic competition after its adoption of Juche in 1974 Following the coup that brought General Park Chung Hee to power in 1961 which at first caused political instability and an economic crisis a protectionist economic policy began pushing a bourgeoisie that developed in the shadow of the State to reactivate the internal market To promote development a policy of export oriented industrialisation was applied closing the entry into the country of all kinds of foreign products except raw materials Agrarian reforms were carried out and Park nationalised the financial system to swell the powerful state arm whose intervention in the economy was through five year plans The spearhead was the chaebols diversified family conglomerates such as Hyundai Samsung and LG Corporation which received state incentives such as tax breaks legality for their exploitation system and cheap or free financing the state bank facilitated the planning of concentrated loans by item according to each five year plan and by economic group selected to lead it South Korea received donations from the United States due to the Cold War and foreign economic and military support continued for some years Chaebols started to dominate the domestic economy and eventually began to become internationally competitive Under these chaebols workers began to see their wages and working conditions improve which increased domestic consumption By the 1980s the country rose from low income to middle income South Korea s real GDP expanded by an average of more than 8 percent per year from US 2 7 billion in 1962 to US 230 billion in 1989 breaking the trillion dollar mark in the early 2000s Nominal GDP per capita grew from 103 88 in 1962 to 5 438 24 in 1989 reaching the 20 000 milestone in 2006 The manufacturing sector grew from 14 3 percent of the GNP in 1962 to 30 3 percent in 1987 Commodity trade volume rose from US 480 million in 1962 to a projected US 127 9 billion in 1990 The ratio of domestic savings to GNP grew from 3 3 percent in 1962 to 35 8 percent in 1989 In the early 1960s South Korea s rate of growth exceeded North Korea s rate of growth in most industrial areas The most significant factor in rapid industrialisation was the adoption of an outward looking strategy in the early 1960s This strategy was particularly well suited to that time because of South Korea s low savings rate and small domestic market The strategy promoted economic growth through labour intensive manufactured exports in which South Korea could develop a competitive advantage Government initiatives played an important role in this process Through the model of export led industrialisation the South Korean government incentivised corporations to develop new technology and upgrade productive efficiency to compete the global market By adhering to state regulations and demands firms were awarded subsidisation and investment support to develop their export markets in the evolving international arena In addition the inflow of foreign capital was encouraged to supplement the shortage of domestic savings These efforts enabled South Korea to achieve growth in exports and subsequent increases in income Beginning in 1973 South Korea s government used its National Investment Fund and the Korea Development Bank to invest large amounts of money into what Park Chung Hee s government viewed as the six strategic industries steel non ferrous metals shipbuilding industrial machinery electronics and petrochemicals 136 This developmental approach was frequently criticized at the time from outside Korea including by the World Bank 136 The strategy was successful and ultimately also helped develop companies like Samsung and POSCO and reduced input costs for production in downstream industries as well 136 By emphasising the industrial sector Seoul s export oriented development strategy left the rural sector barely touched The steel and shipbuilding industries in particular played key roles in developing South Korea s economy during this time Except for mining most industries were located in the urban areas of the northwest and southeast Heavy industries were located in the south of the country Factories in Seoul contributed over 25 percent of all manufacturing value added in 1978 taken together with factories in the surrounding Gyeonggi Province factories in the Seoul area produced 46 percent of all manufacturing that year Factories in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province employed 48 percent of the nation s 2 1 million factory workers Increased income disparity between the industrial and agricultural sectors became a problem by the 1970s despite government efforts to raise farm income and improve rural areas South Korean inflation M2 money supply increases Inflation Inflation ex food and energy In the early 1980s in order to control inflation a conservative monetary policy and tight fiscal measures were adopted Growth of the money supply was reduced from the 30 percent level of the 1970s to 15 percent During this time Seoul froze its budget for a short while Government intervention in the economy was greatly reduced and policies on imports and foreign investment were liberalised to promote competition To reduce the imbalance between rural and urban sectors Seoul expanded investments in public projects such as roads and communications facilities while further promoting farm mechanisation The measures implemented early in the decade coupled with significant improvements in the world economy helped South Korea regain its lost momentum South Korea achieved an average of 9 2 percent real growth between 1982 and 1987 and 12 5 percent between 1986 and 1988 The double digit inflation of the 1970s was brought under control Wholesale price inflation averaged 2 1 percent per year from 1980 through 1988 consumer prices increased by an average of 4 7 percent annually Seoul achieved its first significant surplus in its balance of payments in 1986 and recorded a US 7 7 billion and a US 11 4 billion surplus in 1987 and 1988 respectively This development permitted South Korea to begin reducing its level of foreign debt The trade surplus for 1989 however was only US 4 6 billion and a small negative balance was projected for 1990 1990s and the Asian Financial Crisis South Korean bonds 50 year 10 year 2 year 1 year For the first half of the 1990s the South Korean economy continued a stable and strong growth in both private consumption and GDP During the 1997 Asian financial crisis after several other Asian currencies were attacked by speculators the Korean won started to depreciate in October 1997 The problem was exacerbated due to non performing loans at many of Korea s merchant banks By December 1997 the IMF had approved a US 21 billion loan that would be part of a US 58 4 billion bailout plan By January 1998 the government had shut down a third of Korea s merchant banks Throughout 1998 Korea s economy would continue to shrink quarterly at an average rate of 6 65 and South Korean chaebol Daewoo was dismantled by the government in 1999 due to debt problems General Motors managed to purchase the motors division Indian conglomerate Tata Group purchased the trucks and heavy vehicles division of Daewoo Actions by the South Korean government and debt swaps by international lenders have contained the country s financial problems Much of South Korea s recovery from the 1997 Asian financial crisis can be attributed to labour adjustments i e a dynamic and productive labour market with flexible wage rates and alternative funding sources By the first quarter of 1999 GDP growth had risen to 5 4 and strong growth thereafter combined with deflationary pressure on the currency led to a yearly growth of 10 5 In December 1999 President Kim Dae jung declared the currency crisis over 2000s South Korea s economy has moved away from a centrally planned government directed investment model toward a more market oriented one These economic reforms pushed by President Kim Dae jung helped South Korea maintain one of Asia s few expanding economies citation needed with growth rates of 10 8 in 1999 and 9 2 in 2000 Growth fell back to 3 3 in 2001 because of the slowing global economy decreased exports and perceptions that corporate and financial reforms had stalled After the bounce back from the 1997 Asian financial crisis the economy continued strong growth in 2000 with a GDP growth of 9 08 However the South Korean economy was affected by the September 11 attacks The slowing global economy falling exports and the perception that corporate and financial reforms had stalled caused growth to decrease to 3 8 in 2001 Thanks to industrialisation GDP per hour worked labour output more than tripled from US 2 80 in 1963 to US 10 00 in 1989 More recently the economy stabilised and maintained a growth rate of between 4 5 from 2003 onwards Led by industry and construction growth in 2002 was 5 8 despite anemic global growth The restructuring of chaebols bank privatisation and the creation of a more liberalised economy with a mechanism for bankrupt firms to exit the market remain an unfinished reform task Growth slowed in 2003 but production expanded 5 in 2006 due to popular demand for key export products such as HDTVs and mobile phones citation needed Like most industrialised economies South Korea experienced setbacks during the Great Recession Growth fell by 3 4 in the fourth quarter of 2008 from the previous quarter the first negative quarterly growth in 10 years with year on year quarterly growth continuing to be negative into 2009 Many sectors of the economy at the time reported declines with manufacturing dropping 25 6 as of January 2009 and consumer goods sales dropping 3 1 Exports in autos and semiconductors two pillars of the economy shrank 55 9 and 46 9 respectively while exports overall fell by a record 33 8 in January and 18 3 in February 2009 year on year As in the 1997 Asian financial crisis Korean currency also experienced massive fluctuations declining by 34 against the US dollar Annual growth in the economy slowed to 2 3 in 2008 and was expected to drop to as low as 4 5 by Goldman Sachs but South Korea was able to limit the downturn to a standstill at 0 2 in 2009 Despite the Great Recession the South Korean economy helped by timely stimulus measures and strong domestic consumption of products that compensated for decreased exports was able to avoid a recession unlike most industrialised economies posting positive economic growth for two consecutive years of the crisis In 2010 South Korea made an economic rebound with a growth rate of 6 1 signaling a return of the economy to pre crisis levels South Korea s exports recorded 424 billion in the first eleven months of the year 2010 already higher than its export in the whole year of 2008 The South Korean economy of the 21st century as a Next Eleven economy is expected to grow from 3 9 to 4 2 annually between 2011 and 2030 similar to growth rates of developing countries such as Brazil or Russia South Korean President Park Geun hye at a breakfast meeting with chaebol business magnates Lee Kun hee and Chung Mong koo in 2013 The South Korean government signed the Korea Australia Free Trade Agreement KAFTA on 5 December 2013 with the Australian government seeking to benefit its industries including automotive services and resources and energy and position itself alongside competitors such as the U S and ASEAN South Korea is Australia s third largest export market and fourth largest trading partner with a 2012 trade value of A 32 billion The agreement contains an Investor State Dispute Settlement ISDS clause that permits legal action from South Korean corporations against the Australian government if their trade rights are infringed upon The government cut the work week from six days to five in phases from 2004 to 2011 depending on the size of the firm The number of public holidays was expanded to 16 by 2013 South Korean economy decreased in the first quarter of 2019 which happened to be its worst drop since the Great Recession GDP declined a seasonally adjusted 0 3 percent from the previous quarter South Korea s prices rose more than 6 percent in July compared with last year the fastest jump in nearly a quarter century In July 2022 South Korea s Consumer price index rose 6 3 percent the highest rate since November 1998 High tech industries in the 1990s and 2000s In 1990 South Korean manufacturers planned a shift in future production plans toward high technology industries In June 1989 panels of government officials scholars and business leaders held planning sessions on the production of such goods as new materials mechatronics including industrial robotics bioengineering microelectronics fine chemistry and aerospace This shift in emphasis however did not mean an immediate decline in heavy industries such as automobile and ship production which had dominated the economy in the 1980s citation needed South Korea relies upon exports to fuel the growth of its economy with finished products such as electronics textiles ships automobiles and steel being some of its most important exports Although the import market has liberalised in recent years the agricultural market has remained protectionist due to disparities in the price of domestic agricultural products such as rice with the international market As of 2005 the price of rice in South Korea was four times that of the average price of rice on the international market and it was believed that opening the agricultural market would affect South Korean agricultural sector negatively In late 2004 however an agreement was reached with the WTO in which South Korean rice imports will gradually increase from 4 to 8 of consumption by 2014 In addition up to 30 of imported rice will be made available directly to consumers by 2010 where previously imported rice was only used for processed foods Following 2014 the South Korean rice market will be fully opened citation needed South Korea today is known as the Launchpad of a mature mobile market where developers thrive in a market where few technology constraints exist There is a growing trend of inventions of new types of media or apps using the 4G and 5G internet infrastructure in South Korea South Korea today has the infrastructure to meet a density of population and culture that has the capability to create strong local particularities The economy after the COVID 19 pandemic South Korea faced a turning point in its economy in 2023 With the constant growth of mainland China s manufacturing industry and the impact of COVID 19 South Korea s manufacturing sector is experiencing a consistent decline According to SP Global South Korea s export of manufactured goods to mainland China one of the biggest trading partners of South Korea had decreased by 4 4 in the fourth quarter of 2022 and by 31 in January 2023 On the other hand their primary electronic manufacturing industry is facing a downturn While information and communication technology maintained 34 of South Korea s total 2022 exports at the end of the year it decreased to 24 The government had to incur a massive fiscal spending in 2020 leading a rise in the fiscal deficit as projected in their budget Moreover their forecasted debt to GDP ratio jumped to 41 2 of GDP in 2020 from 37 1 of GDP in 2019 In 2021 the government unveiled a 29 billion extra budget to aid small businesses and boost employment In 2024 the government forecast a debt to GDP ratio was 47 4 of GDP With downturns in many manufacturing industries South Korea has been facing a recession Many economists state the reason for industries slowdown as deteriorating global conditions The inflation rate in South Korea is regularly rising and the problems in the domestic economy such as household debt population problems and productivity problems are the key fiscal and monetary factors that hold South Korea s economic growth Due to the sudden evolution of COVID 19 private consumption decreased and a bottleneck in the supply sector occurred With this situation the Bank of Korea indicated that the consumer inflation rate rose about three percent after COVID 19 evolved Assuming that South Korea s interest rate was low compared to other countries raising house prices and household debt became one of the problems in South Korea s economy To stabilise the inflated economy the government has passed the Korean New Deal Program to invest 144 billion dollars This expansionary fiscal policy promoted private consumption and increased the number of jobs This expansionary fiscal stimulus is designed to recover the economic and social impact of COVID 19 from the existing climate and environmental dangers The New Deal policy is divided explicitly into healthcare and green industries South Korea s Ministry of Economy and Finance asserted the New Growth Strategy 4 0 in August 2023 The New Growth Strategy suggests projects for South Korea s long term industry growth The South Korean government advocates these policies as a New Growth 4 0 project which aims to generate tangible outcomes in the future by setting the focus of policy and investments towards emerging industries To achieve these goals the strategy outlines the following key guidelines Foster AI semiconductor industries and build up a collaborative ecosystem between businesses Dominate the global market of the Urban Air Mobility UAM industry Secure Clean Hydrogen Production Technology via Water Electrolysis Advance Autonomous Driving Technologies Promote the Battery Re manufacturing and Reuse Markets Expand the Private Sector led My Data Based Services Streamline the Ordering Process of Research Equipment or Facilities to Alleviate Administrative Burdens Besides this South Korea is one of the countries with excellent healthcare systems biomedical technology and AI technology While South Korea s value in the medical industry is projected at around 6 7 billion dollars the medical technology market is projected to reach 11 5 billion dollars The annual projected growth rate of the medical industry is over 6 which indicates a bright future for the industry Many economists suggest that by adopting AI technology South Korea will be a bio medical industry leading country An article about the future data driven healthcare industry in South Korea suggests that AI technology helps the medical industry provide customised medical services for patients and can utilise the benefits and costs In April 2025 the incorporation of Korean government bonds into the World Government Bond Index was postponed from November this year to April next year After being listed as a prospective candidate for incorporation in September 2022 it was successfully included in the regular market classification report in the second half of October 2024 Economic inequality This section is an excerpt from Economic inequality in South Korea edit According to data from 2010 low income earners those earning 12 million won or less make up 37 8 of South Korea s labour force Conversely the highest income earners those earning 100 million won or more make up 1 4 of the labour force According to a survey in 2019 among young South Koreans 89 3 of women and 81 7 of men agreed with the statement that people born into poverty can never compete with those born into wealth DataThe following table shows the main economic indicators in 1980 2021 with IMF staff estimates in 2022 2027 Inflation below 5 is in green Year GDP in Bil US PPP GDP per capita in US PPP GDP in Bil US nominal GDP per capita in US nominal GDP growth real Inflation rate in Percent Unemployment in Percent Government debt in of GDP 1980 82 7 2 169 4 65 4 1 714 6 1 6 28 7 5 2 n a 1981 97 1 2 507 3 72 9 1 883 5 7 2 21 4 4 5 n a 1982 111 7 2 839 9 78 3 1 992 3 8 3 7 2 4 1 n a 1983 131 6 3 296 9 87 8 2 198 9 13 4 3 4 4 1 n a 1984 150 7 3 730 0 97 5 2 413 3 10 6 2 3 3 9 n a 1985 167 7 4 109 0 101 3 2 482 4 7 8 2 5 4 0 n a 1986 190 4 4 620 3 116 8 2 834 9 11 3 2 8 3 8 n a 1987 220 0 5 284 7 147 9 3 554 6 12 7 3 0 3 1 n a 1988 255 0 6 067 2 199 6 4 748 7 12 0 7 1 2 5 n a 1989 283 8 6 684 6 246 9 5 817 1 7 1 5 7 2 6 n a 1990 323 5 7 545 1 283 4 6 610 0 9 9 8 6 2 5 3 2 1991 370 4 8 555 9 330 7 7 637 2 10 8 9 3 2 5 12 3 1992 402 4 9 197 2 355 5 8 126 5 6 2 6 2 2 5 12 0 1993 440 2 9 961 0 392 7 8 886 4 6 9 4 8 2 9 11 2 1994 491 3 11 005 5 463 4 10 381 2 9 3 6 3 2 5 10 0 1995 549 8 12 193 2 566 6 12 565 0 9 6 4 5 2 1 8 8 1996 604 1 13 269 2 610 2 13 402 9 7 9 4 9 2 1 8 1 1997 652 4 14 197 2 570 6 12 416 8 6 2 4 4 2 6 10 0 1998 625 9 13 522 6 382 9 8 271 4 5 1 7 5 7 0 14 3 1999 707 5 15 177 3 497 3 10 666 9 11 5 0 8 6 6 16 3 2000 789 1 16 786 6 576 5 12 263 5 9 1 2 3 4 4 16 7 2001 846 0 17 860 1 547 7 11 563 0 4 9 4 1 4 0 17 2 2002 925 6 19 427 1 627 0 13 159 7 7 7 2 8 3 3 17 0 2003 973 6 20 328 4 702 7 14 672 4 3 1 3 5 3 6 19 8 2004 1 051 7 21 872 1 792 5 16 482 8 5 2 3 6 3 7 22 4 2005 1 131 4 23 480 1 934 7 19 398 5 4 3 2 8 3 8 25 9 2006 1 227 7 25 345 4 1 052 6 21 731 0 5 3 2 2 3 5 28 1 2007 1 334 0 27 401 2 1 172 5 24 083 3 5 8 2 5 3 3 27 4 2008 1 400 5 28 550 5 1 049 2 21 387 7 3 0 4 7 3 2 26 9 2009 1 420 7 28 812 5 943 7 19 139 7 0 8 2 8 3 6 30 0 2010 1 535 6 30 988 3 1 143 6 23 077 2 6 8 2 9 3 7 29 5 2011 1 625 3 32 546 8 1 253 4 25 100 2 3 7 4 0 3 4 33 1 2012 1 684 6 33 557 1 1 278 0 25 459 2 2 4 2 2 3 2 35 0 2013 1 726 9 34 244 3 1 370 6 27 179 5 3 2 1 3 3 1 37 7 2014 1 792 6 35 324 5 1 484 5 29 252 9 3 2 1 3 3 5 39 7 2015 1 933 8 37 907 5 1 466 0 28 737 4 2 8 0 7 3 6 40 8 2016 2 026 5 39 567 0 1 499 4 29 274 2 2 9 1 0 3 7 41 2 2017 2 105 9 41 001 1 1 623 1 31 600 7 3 2 1 9 3 7 40 1 2018 2 218 9 43 014 2 1 725 4 33 447 2 2 9 1 5 3 8 40 0 2019 2 309 3 44 610 7 1 651 4 31 902 4 2 2 0 4 3 8 42 1 2020 2 320 5 44 766 3 1 644 7 31 728 3 0 7 0 5 3 9 48 7 2021 2 517 1 48 653 1 1 811 0 35 003 8 4 1 2 5 3 7 51 3 2022 2 765 8 53 574 2 1 734 2 33 591 6 2 6 5 5 3 0 54 1 2023 3 123 56 709 1 709 33 147 2 0 3 8 3 4 54 4 2024 3 065 4 59 526 8 1 879 0 36 488 9 2 7 2 3 3 3 55 2 SectorsShipbuilding Hanwha Ocean Okpo Shipyard in Geoje During the 1970s and 1980s South Korea became a leading producer of ships including oil supertankers and oil drilling platforms The country s major shipbuilder was Hyundai which built a 1 million ton capacity drydock at Ulsan in the mid 1970s Daewoo joined the shipbuilding industry in 1980 and finished a 1 2 million ton facility at Okpo on Geoje Island south of Busan in mid 1981 The industry declined in the mid 1980s because of the oil glut and because of a worldwide recession There was a sharp decrease in new orders in the late 1980s new orders for 1988 totaled 3 million gross tons valued at US 1 9 billion decreases from the previous year of 17 8 percent and 4 4 percent respectively These declines were caused by labour unrest Seoul s unwillingness to provide financial assistance and Tokyo s new low interest export financing in support of Japanese shipbuilders However the South Korean shipping industry was expected to expand in the early 1990s because older ships in world fleets needed replacing South Korea eventually became the world s dominant shipbuilder with a 50 6 share of the global shipbuilding market as of 2008 Notable Korean shipbuilders are Hyundai Heavy Industries Samsung Heavy Industries Hanwha Ocean and the now bankrupt STX Offshore amp Shipbuilding Electronics Electronics is one of South Korea s main industries During the 1980s through the 2000s South Korean companies such as Samsung LG and SK led South Korea s growth In 2017 17 1 of South Korea s exports were semiconductors produced by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix Samsung and LG are also major producers in electronic devices such as televisions smartphones display and computers Automobile A Hyundai automobile The automotive line is a key sector in South Korea s industry The automobile industry was one of South Korea s major growth and export industries in the 1980s By the late 1980s the capacity of the South Korean motor industry had increased more than fivefold since 1984 it exceeded 1 million units in 1988 Total investment in cars and car component manufacturing was over US 3 billion in 1989 Total production including buses and trucks for 1988 totaled 1 1 million units a 10 6 percent increase over 1987 and grew to an estimated 1 3 million vehicles predominantly passenger cars in 1989 Almost 263 000 passenger cars were produced in 1985 a figure that grew to approximately 846 000 units in 1989 In 1988 automobile exports totaled 576 134 units of which 480 119 units 83 3 percent were sent to the United States Throughout most of the late 1980s much of the growth of South Korea s automobile industry was the result of a surge in exports 1989 exports however declined 28 5 percent from 1988 This decline reflected sluggish car sales to the United States especially at the less expensive end of the market and labour strife at home South Korea today has developed into one of the world s largest automobile producers The Hyundai Motor Group is South Korea s largest automaker in terms of revenue production units and worldwide presence Mining Most of the mineral deposits on the Korean Peninsula are located in North Korea with the South only possessing an abundance of tungsten and graphite Coal iron ore and molybdenum are found in South Korea but not in large quantities and mining operations are on a small scale Much of South Korea s minerals and ore are imported from other countries Most South Korean coal is anthracite that is only used for heating homes and boilers In 2019 South Korea was the 3rd largest world producer of bismuth the 4th largest world producer of rhenium and the 10th largest world producer of sulfur Construction Breakwater construction in Seosan coast 1984 Construction has been an important South Korean export industry since the early 1960s and remains a critical source of foreign currency and invisible export earnings By 1981 overseas construction projects most of them in the Middle East accounted for 60 percent of the work undertaken by South Korean construction companies Contracts that year were valued at US 13 7 billion In 1988 however overseas construction contracts totaled only US 2 6 billion orders from the Middle East were US 1 2 billion a 1 percent increase over the previous year while new orders for domestic construction projects totaled US 13 8 billion an 8 8 percent increase over 1987 South Korean construction companies therefore concentrated on the rapidly growing domestic market in the late 1980s By 1989 there were signs of a revival of the overseas construction market the Dong Ah Construction Company signed a US 5 3 billion contract with Libya to build the second phase and other subsequent phases of Libya s Great Man Made River Project with a projected cost of US 27 billion when all 5 phases were completed South Korean construction companies signed over US 7 billion of overseas contracts in 1989 South Korea s largest construction companies include Samsung C amp T Corporation which built some of the highest buildings and most noteworthy skyscrapers such as three consecutively the world s tallest buildings the Petronas Towers Taipei 101 and the Burj Khalifa Armaments South Korea s remarkable technological advancements and industrialisation allowed the country to produce increasingly advanced military equipment During the 1960s South Korea was dependent on the United States to supply its armed forces but after the elaboration of President Richard M Nixon s policy of Vietnamisation in the early 1970s South Korea began to manufacture its own weapons Since the 1980s South Korea has begun exporting military equipment and technology to boost its international trade Some of its key military export projects include the T 155 Firtina self propelled artillery for Turkey the K11 air burst rifle for the United Arab Emirates the Bangabandhu class guided missile frigate for Bangladesh fleet tankers such as Sirius class for the navies of Australia New Zealand and Venezuela Makassar class amphibious assault ships for Indonesia and the KT 1 trainer aircraft for Turkey Indonesia and Peru South Korea also exports various core components of other countries advanced military hardware Those hardware include modern aircraft such as F 15K fighters and AH 64 attack helicopters which will be used by Singapore whose airframes will be built by Korea Aerospace Industries in a joint production deal with Boeing In other major outsourcing and joint production deals South Korea has jointly produced the S 300 air defence system of Russia via Samsung Group failed verification and will facilitate the sales of Mistral class amphibious assault ships to Russia that will be produced by STX Corporation The deal was cancelled in 2014 due to Russia s actions in Ukraine and the ships were sold to Egypt instead South Korea s defence exports were 1 03 billion in 2008 and 1 17 billion in 2009 Tourism In 2012 11 1 million foreign tourists visited South Korea making it one of the most visited countries in the world up from 8 5 million in 2010 Many tourists from all around Asia visit South Korea which has been due to the rise of the Korean Wave Hallyu Seoul is the principal tourist destination for visitors popular tourist destinations outside of Seoul include the major coastal city of Busan the Seorak san national park the historic city of Gyeongju and subtropical Jeju Island Trade statistics2021 top South Korean exports Product Percentage Exports value Integrated circuits 17 7 116 in billion Cars 6 85 44 7 in billion Refined petroleum 5 57 36 4 in billion Motor vehicle parts 2 95 19 3 in billion Office machine parts 2 76 18 in billion Passenger and cargo ships 2 71 17 71 in billion Telephones 2 46 16 1 in billion Machinery 1 78 11 6 in billion Blank audio media 1 66 10 8 in billion Others 55 6 362 39 in billion 2021 top South Korean imports Product Percentage Imports value Crude petroleum 10 5 60 6 in billion Integrated circuits 8 21 41 4 in billion Petroleum gas 4 25 24 5 in billion Refined petroleum 4 2 24 3 in billion Photo lab equipment 2 88 16 6 in billion Coal briquettes 2 27 13 1 in billion Cars 2 09 12 in billion Machinery 1 37 7 9 in billion Computers 1 32 7 6 in billion Others 62 91 370 in billion 2018 Top 10 export partners Country Region Export M Percentage China 162 125 26 8 United States 72 720 12 0 Vietnam 48 622 8 0 Hong Kong 45 996 7 6 Japan 30 529 5 1 Russia 20 872 3 4 Taiwan 20 784 3 2 India 15 606 2 6 Philippines 12 037 2 0 Singapore 11 782 2 0 Mexico 11 458 1 9 Others 173 201 28 6 Total 604 860 100 0 2018 Top 10 import partners Country Region Import M Percentage China 106 489 19 9 United States 58 868 11 0 Japan 54 604 10 2 Saudi Arabia 26 336 4 9 Germany 20 854 3 9 Australia 20 719 3 9 Vietnam 19 643 3 7 Russia 17 504 3 4 Taiwan 16 738 3 1 Qatar 16 294 3 0 Singapore 12 762 2 0 Others 177 153 33 1 Total 535 202 100 0 2018 Top 10 positive balance surplus countries for South Korea Country Region Balance M China 55 636 Hong Kong 43 999 Vietnam 28 979 United States 13 852 India 9 722 Philippines 8 468 Mexico 6 368 Turkey 4 791 Taiwan 4 045 Singapore 3 808 Others 110 011 Total 69 657 2018 Top 10 negative balance deficit countries for South Korea Country Balance M Japan 24 075 Saudi Arabia 22 384 Qatar 15 768 Kuwait 11 541 Germany 11 481 Australia 11 108 Russia 10 183 Iraq 7 658 United Arab Emirates 4 699 Chile 2 667 Others 191 221 Total 69 657Mergers and acquisitionsSince 1991 there has been a steady upwards trend in South Korean M amp A until 2018 with only a short break around 2004 Since 1991 around 18 300 deals in into or out of South Korea have been announced which sum up to a total value of over 941 bil USD 2016 has been the year with the largest deal value 1 818 in bil USD and the most deals 82 3 Target industries are distributed very evenly with no industry taking a larger share than 10 The top three target industries are electronics 9 7 semiconductors 9 1 and metals and mining 7 7 However over 51 of the acquiring companies originate from the financial and brokerage sector citation needed See alsoSouth Korea portalBusiness portalMoney portal Korean Wave List of banks in South Korea List of 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