Risk and sentiment
Korea Imports YoY
Year-over-year growth in Korean import value. It captures both commodity prices and domestic demand, so comparing it with export growth gives an early read on the direction of the trade balance.
Korea Imports YoY latest observations
- Observed
- 2026-08-31
- Latest
- 22.45 %
- Change from previous
- ▼ -3.98 pp
Check the observation dates in both the summary and chart; release and refresh times can differ.
At a glance
Korea Imports YoY: latest value and prior change
As of 2026-08-31, Korea Imports YoY is 22.45 %. It is 3.98 pp lower than 26.43 % on 2026-07-31.
Across 308 available observations from 2001-01-31 to 2026-08-31, the latest value is at the tie-adjusted 78th percentile.
- Observed on
- Default comparison window
- 2001-01-31–2026-08-31
- Observations · observed cadence
- 308 · 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 · %
- First
- 31.06 %
- 2021-09-30
- Latest
- 22.45 %
- 2026-08-31
- Window low
- -25.32 %
- 2023-07-31
- Window high
- 43.59 %
- 2021-11-30
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 Imports YoY
2001-01-31–2026-08-31
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 | 22.45 % | 2026-07-31 | -3.98 %p |
| 2026-07-31 | 26.43 % | 2026-06-30 | -3.52 %p |
| 2026-06-30 | 29.95 % | 2026-05-31 | 9.28 %p |
| 2026-05-31 | 20.67 % | 2026-04-30 | 3.99 %p |
| 2026-04-30 | 16.68 % | 2026-03-31 | 2.79 %p |
| 2026-03-31 | 13.89 % | 2026-02-28 | 6.08 %p |
| 2026-02-28 | 7.82 % | 2026-01-31 | -3.87 %p |
| 2026-01-31 | 11.69 % | 2025-12-31 | 7.13 %p |
| 2025-12-31 | 4.56 % | 2025-11-30 | 3.44 %p |
| 2025-11-30 | 1.12 % | 2025-10-31 | 2.63 %p |
Source: Bank of Korea ECOS
Interpretation guide
Separating energy costs from demand signals in Korean imports
Korea Imports YoY tracks customs-based import value against the prior year, released alongside exports on the first of each month. Because Korea imports nearly all of its crude oil and gas, the series blends global energy prices with domestic demand, and splitting the two is the first step of any reading.
Energy versus non-energy imports
An import surge driven by oil prices is bad news for the terms of trade, while one driven by chip equipment or intermediate goods can foreshadow rising investment and production. The identical headline supports opposite conclusions depending on its cause.
- In months of unusual import growth, first isolate the contribution from crude, gas, and coal.
- Sustained capital-goods imports signal a capex recovery; verify against Korea Industrial Production YoY.
- Use consumer-goods imports together with Korea Retail Sales YoY to cross-check household demand.
Trade balance and terms-of-trade context
A surplus widened by falling imports looks positive but resembles a recession-type surplus if weak demand is the cause. Conversely, imports rising alongside exports often mark the early phase of an export upswing, given Korea's processing-trade structure.
- Treat the combination of falling exports, falling imports, and a widening surplus as a contraction signal.
- Intermediate-goods imports tend to lead shipments, making them a leading reference for Korea Exports YoY.
- During oil spikes, watch whether trade deterioration feeds through to won weakness.
Frequent analytical mistakes
Reading every import increase as dollar outflow and won-negative is only half the story. Imports that feed production and investment return as exports and growth with a lag, so ignoring the composition loses the direction of the signal.
- The series is value-based, so use import price data to separate volume growth from price effects.
- In months of sharp FX moves, dollar-denominated values distort even unchanged volumes.
- Monthly swings are wide; confirm the trend with a three-month average before judging any single print.