How much did Korea’s current account surplus reach in September 2026, and what drove it?

The surplus reached $61.46 billion, up from $46.11 billion in August. Strong semiconductor exports contributed to the record, while the goods account surplus reached $62.75 billion.

Why does the Bank of Korea expect Korea’s annual current account surplus to exceed its forecast?

The surplus totaled $340.66 billion in the first nine months, and the third-quarter total of $149.65 billion had already surpassed the full-year 2025 surplus of $123.05 billion. A Bank of Korea official also expected another record high in December due to year-end seasonal effects.

Which parts of Korea’s current account weakened in September despite the record surplus?

The services account deficit widened to $3.35 billion from $1.68 billion in August, reflecting a larger travel deficit and intellectual property-related payments. The secondary income account also recorded a $590 million deficit.

Korea posts record high current account surplus of over $60 bil. in Sept. on chip supercycle

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Summary

Korea posted a record $61.46 billion current account surplus in September, driven by strong semiconductor exports. The surplus exceeded the previous monthly record of $49.73 billion set in June and was more than four times the September figure a year earlier. The Bank of Korea expects the annual surplus to exceed its $450 billion forecast, with another record high possible in December.

Key Facts

The current account surplus totaled $340.66 billion in the first nine months, compared with $83.89 billion in the same period a year earlier.
The third-quarter surplus reached $149.65 billion, already exceeding the 2025 annual total of $123.05 billion.
The goods account recorded a $62.75 billion surplus as exports rose 92.4 percent year on year to $130.72 billion and imports increased 29.4 percent to $67.97 billion.
The services account deficit widened to $3.35 billion from $1.68 billion the previous month, amid a growing travel deficit and intellectual property-related payments.
The primary income account posted a $2.65 billion surplus, while the secondary income account recorded a $590 million deficit.

By Yonhap

Published Nov 5, 2026 8:16 am KST
Updated Nov 5, 2026 11:53 am KST

Containers are stacked at a port in the southeastern city of Busan, Sunday. Yonhap

Korea posted an all-time high current account surplus of over $60 billion in September on strong exports of semiconductors, central bank data showed Thursday.

The current account surplus totaled $61.46 billion in September, up from $46.11 billion the previous month, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK).

It marked the largest monthly current account surplus ever, renewing the previous record of $49.73 billion set in June.

Compared with the same month a year earlier, the figure surged from $14.22 billion.

For the first nine months of the year, the current account surplus totaled a cumulative $340.66 billion, quadrupling from $83.89 billion recorded over the same period last year.

The third-quarter current account surplus totaled $149.65 billion, already surpassing last year's annual total of $123.05 billion.

The BOK expected this year's annual current account surplus to exceed its forecast of $450 billion.

"The current account surplus is expected to reach the second-highest level on record in October," said a BOK official. "We expect another record high in December given year-end seasonal effects."

Korea has reported a current account surplus every month since May 2023, making August the 41st consecutive month the balance has remained in the black.

In 2025, the country posted its largest annual surplus on record at $123.05 billion, exceeding the previous high of $105.1 billion set in 2015.

The BOK said the goods account posted a record surplus of $62.75 billion in September, as exports shot up 92.4 percent on-year to $130.72 billion in the month, while imports rose 29.4 percent to $67.97 billion.

The primary income account logged a $2.65 billion surplus following an increase in equity income.

The services account recorded a deficit of $3.35 billion in September, widening the loss from the previous month's $1.68 billion due to the increasing travel deficit and intellectual property-related payments.

The secondary income account recorded a $590 million deficit.

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