Risk and sentiment
Korea Current Account
Korea's seasonally adjusted current account balance, combining goods, services, and income flows. A sustained surplus brings in foreign currency and cushions both the exchange rate and external credibility.
Latest
48,588 mn USD
+7,693 mn USD
Korea Current Account latest observations
- Observed
- 2026-08-31
- Latest
- 48,588 mn USD
- Change from previous
- ▲ +7,693 mn USD
Check the observation dates in both the summary and chart; release and refresh times can differ.
At a glance
Korea Current Account: latest value and prior change
As of 2026-08-31, Korea Current Account is 48,588 mn USD. It is 7,693 mn USD higher than 40,895 mn USD on 2026-07-31.
Across 440 available observations from 1990-01-31 to 2026-08-31, the latest value is at the tie-adjusted 100th percentile.
- Observed on
- Default comparison window
- 1990-01-31–2026-08-31
- Observations · observed cadence
- 440 · Monthly
- Data source
- Bank of Korea ECOS
A high or low percentile does not by itself make the indicator positive, negative, or a buy or sell signal.
2021-09-30 → 2026-08-31 · mn USD
- First
- 6,870 mn USD
- 2021-09-30
- Latest
- 48,588 mn USD
- 2026-08-31
- Window low
- -4,479 mn USD
- 2022-08-31
- Window high
- 48,588 mn USD
- 2026-08-31
The horizontal axis follows observation order; calendar intervals may differ. High and low refer to observed values within this window, not intraday or all-time extremes. Ties show the first observation date.
Time-series chart
Korea Current Account
1990-01-31–2026-08-31
Long-history series are stored as real provider observations. Index, FX, VIX, and ratio charts use historical backfill where providers expose it; Korean investor flow and margin-credit feeds expand as stable historical endpoints become available.
Recent observations and calculated changes
The ten latest chart observations. Change subtracts the previous observation; intervals vary with holidays, release schedules and missing data. A difference in rates or ratios is not an investment return.
| Observed | Value | Previous date | Difference (current − previous) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-31 | 48,588 mn USD | 2026-07-31 | 7,693 mn USD |
| 2026-07-31 | 40,895 mn USD | 2026-06-30 | -3,533 mn USD |
| 2026-06-30 | 44,428 mn USD | 2026-05-31 | 6,307 mn USD |
| 2026-05-31 | 38,121 mn USD | 2026-04-30 | 4,727 mn USD |
| 2026-04-30 | 33,394 mn USD | 2026-03-31 | -2,252 mn USD |
| 2026-03-31 | 35,647 mn USD | 2026-02-28 | 7,530 mn USD |
| 2026-02-28 | 28,117 mn USD | 2026-01-31 | 8,558 mn USD |
| 2026-01-31 | 19,559 mn USD | 2025-12-31 | 4,566 mn USD |
| 2025-12-31 | 14,993 mn USD | 2025-11-30 | 2,822 mn USD |
| 2025-11-30 | 12,172 mn USD | 2025-10-31 | 2,886 mn USD |
Source: Bank of Korea ECOS
Interpretation guide
Using the current account to gauge won fundamentals
Korea's current account, published monthly by the Bank of Korea, sums goods, services, primary income, and secondary income flows to show whether the country earned or spent dollars in its external dealings. Sustained surpluses underpin dollar supply at home, supporting the won and the backdrop for foreign capital flows.
Decompose the four components
A surplus of a given size means different things depending on what drives it. The goods balance reflects the export cycle, services capture travel and transport demand, and primary income records dividends and interest earned on overseas investments.
- A goods-led surplus signals an improving manufacturing export cycle; verify it against Korea Exports YoY.
- When primary income sustains the surplus, check whether overseas dividend receipts are masking weak trade.
- Widening services deficits often track outbound travel, so read them alongside shifts in household spending.
Transmission to the won and FX markets
Surpluses typically translate into exporter dollar selling, which supports the won. But if earned dollars flow back out through overseas securities purchases, the won can stay weak despite a surplus, so the financial account matters as much as the headline.
- A weak won during a surplus streak points to capital outflows or broad dollar strength as the driver.
- Around April, foreign dividend remittances seasonally depress primary income, so discount that dip.
- Several consecutive deficit months warrant a check on Korea FX Reserves for signs of eroding buffers.
Common misreadings
A surplus is not automatically good news. A recession-type surplus created by imports falling faster than exports reflects weak domestic demand, so the headline alone can invert your read of the economy.
- When the surplus widens, decompose whether exports rose or imports fell, using Korea Imports YoY.
- Monthly figures are noisy; judge the trend on three-month or twelve-month cumulative sums.
- Seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series differ, so confirm you are comparing the same basis.