South Korea
Everything Palanor holds about South Korea, in one place: 270 public signals, what its economy runs on, how often America’s largest companies name it, the news that names it, and Country Posture. Every figure is computed from stored readings and carries its source and date.
AsiaAsia-PacificG20OECD
The latest read
- GDP in current U.S. dollars: $1,872 billion (2025); 96th percentile since 1960; 1y −0.2%.
- Real GDP growth: 1.01% (2025); 7th percentile since 1961; lowest since 2020; 1y −0.99 pts.
- Consumer price inflation: 2.12% (2025); 14th percentile since 1960; lowest since 2020; 1y −0.2 pts.
- Unemployment: 2.68% (2025); 20th percentile since 1991; 1y −0.1 pts.
- Household consumption, share of GDP: 48% of GDP (2025); 7th percentile since 1990; lowest since 2021; 1y −0.47 pts.
- Net exports, share of GDP: 5.16% of GDP (2025); 90th percentile since 1990; highest since 2016; 1y +1.09 pts.
- S&P 500 companies naming it on earnings calls: 6.13% of companies (2026-10-21); 7th percentile since Dec 2021; lowest since Aug 14, 2026; 1y −1.61 pts.
Country Posture
What South Korea’s economy is doing
Momentum
2025Inputs only. Did not pass the pre-registered back-test: 1996–2009: AUC 0.590 below 0.60; AUC 0.590 below the single-input baseline (0.624); 2010–2022: AUC 0.595 below 0.60; AUC 0.595 below the single-input baseline (0.641).
Inputs
| Real GDP growth | 1.0 |
| Growth against its three-year average | -1.1 |
| Change in unemployment | -0.1 |
| Change in the employment rate | -0.0 |
| Export volume growth | — |
| OECD leading indicator | — |
Resilience
202563Moderate buffers
0 = thin buffers · 100 = deep buffers
Moved most by governance (wgi mean) (up) and current account (up) since the year before.
Inputs
| Interest as a share of revenue (2024) | 5.3 | 39 |
| Budget balance (2024) | -1.8 | 32 |
| Reserves, months of imports | 6.5 | 58 |
| Current account | 6.6 | 89 |
| Governance (WGI mean) | 1.07 | 92 |
| External debt | — | — |
Pressure
2025Inputs only. Did not pass the pre-registered back-test: 1996–2009: AUC 0.657 below the single-input baseline (0.672).
Inputs
| Inflation | 2.1 |
| Change in inflation | -0.2 |
| Currency move against the dollar | 4.2% |
| Conflict deaths per million | 0.0 |
| Political stability | 0.92 |
| Private credit, three-year change (2024) | 0.4 |
| Bond spread over U.S. Treasuries | -1.4 |
Posture describes what an economy is doing; it is not a rating and never ranks countries. Each input is read against the country’s own history and against every other economy that year. An axis shows a score only after passing a back-test fixed before any result was computed. Method and back-test.
Country Schemas
Where South Korea is in its cycles
Where South Korea sits in eight long cycles, each read from published statistics against a method fixed before any reading was computed. A stage describes; it is not a rating, and no stage is better or worse than another.
- Development stage
High mass consumption99% · 2025
Pre-take-offTake-offDrive to maturityHigh mass consumption20002025
- Demographic stage
Declining98% · 2025
High stationaryEarly expandingLate expandingLow stationaryDeclining20002025
- Debt cycle stage
Leveraging92% · 2025
Early cycleLeveragingLate cycleDeleveraging20002025
- External balance stage
Immature creditor66% · 2025
Immature debtorMature debtorDebt repayerImmature creditorMature creditorCredit disinvestor20002025
- Export structure stage
Complex exporter97% · 2025
Commodity-reliantDiversifyingManufacturing exporterComplex exporter20002025
- Structural pressure
Low98% · 2025
LowBuildingHighAcute20002025
- Middle-class stage
Affluent99% · 2025
Pre-middle-classEmerging middle classMiddle-class majorityAffluent20062025
- Electoral cycle
Mid-term91% · 2026-10
Post-electionMid-termPre-election2022-042026-10
Passport reach
Where a South Korea passport opens doors
The share of world GDP, outside South Korea itself, in the economies whose published rules let a holder of this passport in, as of October 2026. Palanor records the rules of destinations holding 88% of world GDP, from each government’s own list, and weights them by World Bank GDP for 2025. Rank is among 199 passports.
Work
27.1%rank 31 of 199
the right to work (free movement in full; treaty and working-holiday routes at half); 0 destinations in full, 21 at half.
Recorded changes
Reach is shown here and not weighted into Country Strength: it rewards membership of a free-movement area or a treaty more than the strength of an economy. Entry is always at the border officer’s discretion, and conditions (length of stay, fees, age limits) vary. Method, sources and the full ranking: Passports and citizenship.
Palanor calculation from each destination government's published rules; GDP weights from the World Bank (CC BY 4.0), one year for the whole line, so it moves only when a list changes.
GDP by expenditure
What South Korea’s economy runs on
In 2025, household spending was 48.0% of GDP, government consumption 17.6%, investment 29.1% and net exports +5.2% (exports 45.8%, imports 40.6%).
World Bank national accounts. The parts can miss 100 by a few points (the statistical discrepancy).
Same World Bank definition for every country, so the shares compare directly: What each economy runs on.
IMF World Economic Outlook
The IMF’s outlook for South Korea
The latest year before the October 2026 edition (often still an IMF estimate) and the IMF’s own projections. These are the IMF’s published forecasts, shown as published; Palanor does not project them further. Since the previous edition the IMF raised its growth forecast for this year by 1.5 percentage points (Palanor calculation).
| Measure | 2025 | 2026 IMF f’cast | 2027 IMF f’cast | 2031 IMF f’cast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real GDP growth% | 1.1 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 1.9 |
| Inflation, average consumer prices% | 2.1 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 2.0 |
| Unemployment rate% of labor force | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 2.8 |
| GDP, current US dollarsUS$ bn | 1,882 | 2,246 | 2,539 | 3,069 |
| GDP at purchasing-power parityintl $ bn | 3,395 | 3,626 | 3,846 | 4,495 |
| GDP per person, US dollarsUS$ | 36,408 | 43,512 | 49,277 | 59,919 |
| Current account balance% of GDP | 6.5 | 18.8 | 16.1 | 5.8 |
| Government gross debt% of GDP | 52.4 | 47.3 | 46.2 | 49.7 |
| Government net debt% of GDP | 8.1 | 7.0 | 4.0 | 0.7 |
| Government overall balance% of GDP | -2.3 | -1.3 | 1.4 | -0.3 |
| Government primary balance% of GDP | -2.0 | -1.0 | 1.6 | 0.0 |
| Government net interest paid% of GDP · Palanor calc. | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.4 |
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook Database (edition on the projection). Dashed: the IMF's published projection.
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook Database (edition on the projection). Dashed: the IMF's published projection.
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook Database, October 2026. Provided by the IMF “as is” and free of charge from the IMF; the IMF does not endorse Palanor. Net interest paid is a Palanor calculation: the IMF's primary balance minus its overall balance.
Charts
The headline series
Discourse
How often S&P 500 companies name South Korea
32 of 445 S&P 500 companies named South Korea on an earnings call in the 90 days to 2026-10-21. 6.8% list it in the risk factors of their latest 10-K. Names only, counted by fixed rules set before any document was read; a mention says the country came up, not why.
News
In the news
- Korean chip stocks slide on AI investment fears
South Korea's Kospi index fell sharply as semiconductor stocks plunged amid concerns about AI investment returns.
Palanor Wire2026-10-13negative · -slide +investment -fears
- AI-fueled cyberattacks buffet Japan and South Korea
Major breaches exposed millions of records as artificial intelligence lowers barriers for hackers.
Palanor Wire2026-10-09neutral
- CrowdStrike identifies China-based suspect in South Korea bank hacks
Cybersecurity firm attributes recent bank attacks to 26-year-old using AI tools from China and Anthropic.
Palanor Wire2026-10-08neutral
- South Korea probes AI-linked cyberattacks on banks and churches
South Korean authorities are investigating AI-linked cyberattacks targeting megachurches and banks, with officials warning of a new kind of crisis.
Palanor Wire2026-10-07neutral
- South Korea's Lee says AI appears used in bank hacks
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said AI models are believed to have been used in recent hacking incidents against banks.
Palanor Wire2026-10-06neutral
- South Korea's Lee orders probe after financial data breaches
President Lee Jae-myung orders investigation into cyberattacks across financial industry.
Palanor Wire2026-10-04negative · -probe
- Bank of Korea holds rates as expected after back-to-back hikes reut.rs/4yxaXMA
Reuters · Bluesky2026-10-22neutral
- Bank of Korea holds rates after President Lee calls for boosting housing supply
CNBC · Bluesky2026-10-22neutral
- Bank of Korea holds rates after President Lee calls for boosting housing supply
Marketaux (financial news API)2026-10-22neutral
- North Korea's Kim Yo Jong warns South Korea, says border loudspeakers to be ready within days reut.rs/4zLVCsS
Reuters · Bluesky2026-10-21negative · -warns
- South Korea's Korai Flix to go public in US via $3.5 billion SPAC deal reut.rs/4Boptcs
Reuters · Bluesky2026-10-21positive · +deal
- Shark nicknamed 'Bukangi' returns to sea after third rescue attempt in South Korea reut.rs/4iw1Ua6
Reuters · Bluesky2026-10-21neutral
- South Korea October 1-20 exports surge 105% on record chip sales reut.rs/4ieGrkM
Reuters · Bluesky2026-10-21positive · +surge +record
- LIVE: South Korea makes bid to guide shark out to sea
South Korean authorities in Busan launch a third attempt to guide Bukangi the shark out to the open sea.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ4k...
Reuters · Bluesky2026-10-21neutral
Headlines that name South Korea, matched by name with fixed rules (a wrong match is worse than a missing one). Tone is read from each headline’s own words; no model reads or summarizes an article, and other publishers’ stories link out.
Company graph
Companies headquartered in South Korea
Palanor’s company graph holds 174 entities headquartered here, 6 with a listed ticker (GLEIF headquarters address, else legal address).
- Coupang, Inc.CPNG · WILMINGTON
- SK hynix Inc.SKHY · Icheon-si
- POSCO HOLDINGS INC.PKX · Gyeongsangbuk-do
- KT CORPKT · Seongnam-si
- KOREA ELECTRIC POWER CORPKEP · Naju-si
- SK TELECOM CO LTDSKM · 서울특별시
Signals
Every series about South Korea
Grouped by theme, the most-read first. All 270 in the Library.
Growth and output10 of 57
- South Korea Goods Exports to the World (IMF)record high since Feb 1960; 1y +70.7%$102.2bn2026-06-01
- South Korea Goods Exports to United States (IMF)record high since Feb 1960; 1y +78.4%$20bn2026-06-01
- South Korea Goods Imports from the World (IMF)record high since Feb 1960; 1y +30.0%$66.1bn2026-06-01
- South Korea Goods Imports from United States (IMF)100th percentile since Feb 1960; 1y +32.3%$7.95bn2026-06-01
- South Korea Goods Imports from China (IMF)record high since Nov 1963; 1y +42.8%$16.4bn2026-06-01
- South Korea Goods Exports to China (IMF)record high since Dec 1965; 1y +92.0%$20bn2026-06-01
- Population, Historical (Maddison): South Korea97th percentile since 1820; lowest since 2018; 1y −0.0%51,730,690 people2022
- GDP per Person, Historical (Maddison): South Korearecord high since 1820; 1y +2.6%41,3212022
- GDP, Historical (Maddison): South Korearecord high since 1820; 1y +2.6%2,137.62022
- South Korea · Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Value Added · % of GDP5th percentile since 1960; highest since 2021; 1y +0.00602 pts1.46% of GDP2025
Prices4 of 6
- South Korea Consumer Price Index (OECD)record high since Jan 2010; 1y +2.9%127 index2026-09-01
- South Korea Inflation Rate (CPI, % y/y, OECD)76th percentile since Jan 2011; 1y +0.78 pts2.88% y/y2026-09-01
- South Korea Purchasing Power Since 2019 (100 = January 2019)record low since Jan 2019; 1y −2.8%82.12026-09-01
- South Korea · Inflation · CPI % y/y14th percentile since 1960; lowest since 2020; 1y −0.2 pts2.12%2025
Jobs and people at work6 of 7
- South Korea · Unemployment Rate (OECD Harmonised, Monthly)21st percentile since Jan 1990; 1y −0.1 pts2.7% of labour force2026-08-01
- South Korea — Avg annual hours worked per worker4th percentile since 1953; 1y +1.6%1,910.2 hours/year2023-06-30
- South Korea · Female Labor Force Participation · %96th percentile since 1990; 1y −0.05 pts56.8%2025
- South Korea · Male Labor Force Participation · %35th percentile since 1990; lowest since 2021; 1y −0.18 pts72%2025
- South Korea · Unemployment Rate · %20th percentile since 1991; 1y −0.1 pts2.68%2025
- Average annual hours worked · South Korearecord low since 2008; 1y −1.7%1,833 hours2025
Money, rates and credit5 of 6
- South Korea · Central Bank Policy Rate (IMF)41st percentile since May 1999; 1y unchanged2.5%2026-05-01
- South Korea 10-Year Government Bond Yield (Monthly)62nd percentile since Oct 2000; highest since Apr 2011; 1y +1.60 pts4.45%2026-09-01
- South Korea Credit to the Private Non-Financial Sector (Local Currency)record high since Oct 1962; 1y +3.4%5,340,0912026-01-01
- Bank of Korea Total Assets · % of South Korea GDP46th percentile since Jan 1970; lowest since Oct 1999; 1y −1.66 pts21.3% of GDP2026-01-01
- South Korea Private Credit, Index 2015 = 100record high since 2015; 1y +3.5%176.82025
Stock market and listed companies2
- South Korea Share Prices (OECD, 2015 = 100)99th percentile since Jan 1981; 1y +104.9%341.52026-09-01
- South Korea Share Prices, Change Over a Year (OECD)97th percentile since Jan 1982; lowest since Jan 2026; 1y +75.50 pts104.9% y/y2026-09-01
Government and debt10 of 21
- South Korea · Budget Balance · % GDP (central govt)5th percentile since 1972; lowest since 2020; 1y −0.77-1.79 pct_gdp2024
- South Korea · Interest · % of Revenue (central govt)72nd percentile since 1972; highest since 2014; 1y +0.75 pts5.26%2024
- South Korea · Interest · % of Expense (central govt)38th percentile since 1972; highest since 2016; 1y +0.97 pts4.43%2023
- South Korea · 10-Year Government Bond Yield · annual avg21st percentile since 1990; lowest since 2021; 1y −0.327 pts2.89%2025
- South Korea · Budget Balance · % GDP4th percentile since 1990; lowest since 2020; 1y −1.03-2.5 pct_gdp2025
- South Korea · Government Spending · % GDP96th percentile since 1990; highest since 2022; 1y +5.4%37 pct_gdp2025
- South Korea · Net Interest · % GDP29th percentile since 1990; lowest since 2009; 1y −0.067-0.61 pct_gdp2025
- South Korea · Net Interest · % of Government Spending46th percentile since 1990; lowest since 2009; 1y −0.1 pts-1.66%2025
- South Korea · Net Interest · USD bn (PPP)record low since 1990; 1y −2.87$-20.1bn2025
- South Korea · Primary Balance · % GDPrecord low since 1990; 1y −1.10-3.11 pct_gdp2025
Trade and capital flows10 of 14
- South Korea's Share of Foreign-Held U.S. Treasuries35th percentile since Mar 2000; 1y −0.03 pts1.44% of foreign holdings2026-08-01
- U.S. Treasury Securities Held in South Korea97th percentile since Mar 2000; 1y −1.2%134.2 $ billions2026-08-01
- South Korea's Share of Foreign-Held U.S. Equities · %98th percentile since Sep 2011; 1y +0.307 pts3.25% of foreign holdings2026-08-01
- U.S. Equities Held in South Korea · USD bnrecord high since Sep 2011; 1y +35.8%817.1 $ billions2026-08-01
- U.S. Chipmaking Equipment Imports From South Korea, 12 Monthsrecord high since Dec 2013; 1y +48.2%1.46 $ billions2026-08-01
- U.S. Integrated Circuits Exports to South Korea, 12 Months1st percentile since Dec 2013; 1y −27.0%1.62 $ billions2026-08-01
- U.S. Integrated Circuits Imports From South Korea, 12 Monthsrecord high since Dec 2013; 1y +105.9%4.18 $ billions2026-08-01
- South Korea · Net International Investment Position (IMF)63rd percentile since Oct 1994; lowest since Jul 2014; 1y −93.6%$64bn2026-04-01
- South Korea · Current Account · % GDP95th percentile since 1976; highest since 2015; 1y +23.3%6.57 pct_gdp2025
- U.S. Goods Trade With South Korea (Exports + Imports)96th percentile since 1985; 1y −1.3%194.6 $ billions2025
Energy and resources10 of 22
- South Korea · Bioenergy Share of Electricity Generationrecord high since 2000; 1y +0.01 pts3.23% of generation2025
- South Korea · Carbon Intensity of Electricity6th percentile since 2000; 1y +1.9%417.7 gCO2e/kWh2025
- South Korea · Coal Share of Electricity Generation6th percentile since 2000; 1y +1.38 pts31.1% of generation2025
- South Korea · Electricity Generationrecord high since 2000; 1y +0.0%627.8 TWh2025
- South Korea · Gas Share of Electricity Generation83rd percentile since 2000; 1y −0.71 pts28% of generation2025
- South Korea · Hydro Share of Electricity Generation37th percentile since 2000; 1y −0.08 pts0.61% of generation2025
- South Korea · Hydro, Bioenergy and Other Renewables Share of Electricity Generation94th percentile since 2000; 1y −0.07 pts3.84% of generation2025
- South Korea · Nuclear Share of Electricity Generation44th percentile since 2000; 1y −0.65 pts29.4% of generation2025
- South Korea · Other Fossil Fuels Share of Electricity Generationrecord low since 2000; 1y −0.01 pts1.01% of generation2025
- South Korea · Solar Share of Electricity Generationrecord high since 2000; 1y +0.06 pts6.03% of generation2025
Conflict and geopolitics6 of 12
- Geopolitical Risk — South Korea70th percentile since Jan 1985; lowest since Feb 2026; 1y +0.0391 pts0.28%2026-09-01
- U.S. Active-Duty Troops in South Korea (DMDC)record low since Sep 2008; 1y −5.0%22,574 persons2026-08-31
- South Korea · Governance · WGI six-dimension meanrecord high since 1996; 1y +9.9%1.07 index2025
- South Korea · Political Stability · WGI94th percentile since 1996; 1y +24.6%0.92 index2025
- South Korea · Regulatory Quality · WGI80th percentile since 1996; highest since 2022; 1y +4.4%1 index2025
- South Korea · Rule of Law · WGIrecord high since 1996; 1y +6.8%1.2 index2025
Defence1
- South Korea defence spending — % of GDP (OECD COFOG)58th percentile since 1970; 1y −0.7%2.53 pct of GDP2023
Aid in and out2
- South Korea · Foreign Aid (Official Development Assistance) · US$ billions86th percentile since 2015; 1y −3.9%3.88 US$ billions2025
- South Korea · ODA as % of GNI81st percentile since 2018; 1y −0.01 pts0.2% of GNI2025
Migration4 of 7
- International Migrant Stock: South Korea (UN)record high since 19901,811,507 people2024
- International Migrants as a Share of Population: South Korea (UN)record high since 19903.5% of population2024
- U.S.-Born People Living in South Korea (UN)69th percentile since 199053,226 people2024
- Change in Migrant Share of Population Since 2000: South Korea (UN)3.192024
AI stance and technology8 of 9
- Share of AI Papers on arXiv with an Author in South Korea (Monthly)96th percentile since Feb 2016; highest since Apr 2025; 1y +0.9 pts4.2%2026-09-01
- South Korea · R&D Spending · % of GDPrecord high since 1996; 1y +0.096 pts4.94% of GDP2023
- Global Innovation Index Rank: South Korea1y unchanged4 rank2026
- Global Innovation Index Score: South Korea1y +2.3%61.4 score (0–100)2026
- AI User Share: South Korea (Microsoft AI Diffusion)1y +14.70 pts40.6% of people aged 15-642026-06-30
- AI Optimism Lean · South Korea (Pew)1y −4.10 pts53.8%2026
- More Concerned Than Excited About AI · South Korea (Pew)1y +2.00 pts18%2026
- More Excited Than Concerned About AI · South Korea (Pew)1y −1.00 pts21%2026
Climate and the physical world10 of 12
- South Korea CO₂ Emissions (Global Carbon Budget)88th percentile since 1905; lowest since 2009; 1y −0.9%583.7 Mt CO₂2024
- South Korea Cumulative CO₂ Emissions (Global Carbon Budget)record high since 1905; 1y +2.9%20.7 Gt CO₂2024
- NO2 Pollution Hotspots: South Korea (Sentinel-5P, monthly)17th percentile since May 2018; highest since Apr 2026; 1y −6.8%4.672026-09-01
- NO2 Pollution: South Korea (Sentinel-5P, monthly)25th percentile since May 2018; highest since Apr 2026; 1y +0.2%2.612026-09-01
- NO2 Pollution Hotspots: South Korea, Change vs Year Earlier (%)54th percentile since May 2019; 1y −17.60 pts-6.8%2026-09-01
- South Korea · Arable Land · % of landrecord low since 1961; 1y −1.58 pts13.3% of land area2024
- South Korea · Renewable Freshwater · m³ per person6th percentile since 1961; highest since 2018; 1y +0.2%1,2552022
- South Korea · Forest Area · % of landrecord low since 1990; 1y −0.04 pts64.4%2024
- South Korea · Plastic Emitted to the Ocean by Rivers · tonnes per year (2015)386.6 t/yr2015
- South Korea · Share of Global River Plastic Emitted to the Ocean · % (2015)0.04% of world2015
Health and living standards10 of 17
- Births: South Korearecord low since 1950; 1y −7.9%236,3942023
- Deaths: South Korea86th percentile since 1950; 1y −11.6%345,5022023
- Fertility Rate: South Korearecord low since 1950; 1y −7.7%0.722023
- Median Age: South Korearecord high since 1950; 1y +1.2%44.5 years2023
- Population Aged 65 and Over: South Korearecord high since 1950; 1y +0.85 pts18.3% of population2023
- Population: South Korea94th percentile since 1950; lowest since 2018; 1y −0.1%51,748,739 people2023
- South Korea · Life Expectancy at Birth · yearsrecord high since 1960; 1y +0.2%83.6 years2024
- South Korea · Access to Electricity · % of populationrecord high since 1990; 1y unchanged100%2024
- South Korea · Human Development Index · UNDPrecord high since 1990; 1y +1.0%0.94 index2023
- South Korea · Undernourishment · % of populationrecord low since 2001; 1y unchanged2.5%2024
Sentiment and attention1
- South Korea · Search Attention97th percentile since Sep 2021; 1y +30.4%60 index2026-09-20
More about this country2 of 18
- USD / KRW89th percentile since Jan 1990; lowest since Oct 2, 2024; 1y −5.8%1,334 rate2026-10-16
- South Korea · Total Reserves incl. Gold (IMF)99th percentile since Dec 1950; highest since Mar 2022; 1y +7.1%$451.5bn2026-08-01
Peers
Elsewhere in Asia
Alphabetical. Palanor does not rank countries.
AfghanistanArmeniaAzerbaijanBahrainBangladeshBhutanBruneiCambodiaChinaCyprusGeorgiaHong KongIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIsraelJapanJordanKazakhstanKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLebanonMacaoMalaysiaMaldivesMongoliaMyanmarNepalNorth KoreaOmanPakistanPalestinePhilippinesQatarSaudi ArabiaSingaporeSri LankaSyriaTaiwanTajikistanThailandTimor-LesteTürkiyeTurkmenistanUnited Arab EmiratesUzbekistanVietnamYemen