South Korea posts record $61.46B current account surplus for September

South Korea posted a current account surplus of $61.46 billion in September, the largest monthly surplus on record, according to data from the Bank of Korea released on November 5, 2026. The figure rose from $46.11 billion in August and from $14.22 billion in September a year earlier. The previous monthly record was $49.73 billion, set in June.

The goods account recorded a surplus of $62.75 billion in September, the Bank of Korea said, as exports rose 92.4% from a year earlier to $130.72 billion and imports rose 29.4% to $67.97 billion. The central bank attributed the export strength to semiconductors.

The services account posted a deficit of $3.35 billion in September, wider than the $1.68 billion deficit in August, which the Bank of Korea linked to a larger travel deficit and higher intellectual property-related payments. The primary income account recorded a $2.65 billion surplus after an increase in equity income, and the secondary income account recorded a $590 million deficit.

For the first nine months of 2026, the cumulative current account surplus was $340.66 billion, compared with $83.89 billion over the same period a year earlier. South Korea has recorded a current account surplus every month since May 2023, and the August figure marked the 41st consecutive month in surplus. In 2025, the country posted its largest annual surplus on record at $123.05 billion, above the previous high of $105.1 billion set in 2015.