How large was Korea’s second-quarter current account surplus, and how did it compare with China’s?

Korea recorded a surplus of $116.63 billion in the April-June period, while China’s surplus was $193.72 billion. The figures were based on International Monetary Fund data available on the Bank of Korea’s Economic Statistics System.

What did President Lee Jae Myung say Korea’s current account surplus showed about its global economic role?

Lee said Korea was moving beyond following advanced economies and becoming a leading nation shaping the global economic landscape. He also noted that Korea’s surplus exceeded the combined surpluses of Germany and Japan.

What did Lee call for Korea to do with its global business achievements, especially in semiconductors?

Lee called for Korea to capitalize on its companies’ achievements in global markets, particularly in semiconductors, to strengthen industrial competitiveness and raise potential growth rates.

Lee says Korea emerging as global economic leader on record current account surplus

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Summary

President Lee Jae Myung said Sunday that Korea had become a leading player in the global economy after posting the world’s second-largest current account surplus among major economies in the second quarter. Korea’s surplus reached $116.63 billion from April to June, behind China’s $193.72 billion. Lee said the surplus exceeded Germany and Japan’s combined totals and pointed to Korean companies’ global achievements, particularly in semiconductors. He called for building on those gains to strengthen industrial competitiveness and raise potential growth rates.

Key Facts

The figures came from International Monetary Fund data available through the Bank of Korea’s Economic Statistics System.
Lee wrote on social media that Korea was moving from following advanced economies to shaping the global economic landscape.
Lee identified semiconductors as a key industry in the age of artificial intelligence.
Lee called for the country to use its achievements to strengthen industrial competitiveness and raise potential growth rates.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 25, 2026 8:31 pm KST

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a meeting on regulatory reform at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Friday. Joint Press Corps

President Lee Jae Myung said Sunday that Korea has emerged as a leading player in the global economy, citing that the country posted the world's second-largest current account surplus among major economies in the second quarter.

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

"The Republic of Korea is now moving beyond being a country that follows advanced economies to become a leading nation shaping the global economic landscape," Lee wrote in a social media post, referring to Korea by its official name.

Lee noted that Korea's current account surplus exceeded the combined surpluses of Germany and Japan.

He also highlighted the achievements of Korean companies in global markets, particularly in semiconductors, a key industry in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).

Lee called for the country to capitalize on these achievements to strengthen its industrial competitiveness and raise its potential growth rates.

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