Year over year, South Korea’s overall spending on imported products flatlined via a -0.1% slowdown starting from $632.1 billion in 2024.
Based on the average exchange rate for 2025, the South Korean won depreciated by -4.1% against the US dollar from 2024 to 2025. The Republic of South Korea’s weaker local currency made South Korean imports paid for in stronger US dollars relatively more expensive when converted starting from the won.
Domestically, South Korean inflation in terms of its average consumer prices rose 1.839% in 2025 down from an average 2.322% for the prior year.
Best Customers for South Korean Exports
The latest available country-specific data shows that 73.2% of products imported into South Korea was bought by importers in: mainland China (22.5% of the Korean total), United States of America (11.7%), Japan (7.7%), Taiwan (5.12%), Australia (5.08%), Vietnam (5%), Saudi Arabia (4.3%), Germany (3.4%), Malaysia (2.5%), United Arab Emirates (2.2%), Singapore (1.8%) and Indonesia (1.79%).
From a continental perspective, over three-fifths (62.3%) of South Korea’s total imports by value in 2025 was purchased from fellow Asian countries. Trade partners in North America supplied 14.1% of South Korean import purchases while another 13.4% worth originated from Europe.
Smaller percentages came from providers in Oceania (5.6%) led by Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, Latin America (2.9%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then Africa (1.7%).
Given South Korea’s population of 51.7 million people, its total US$632.5 billion worth of imports during 2025 translates to about $12,225 in yearly product demand from every person in the east Asian country. That per-capita amount represents a slight rise compared to the average $12,200 one year earlier in 2024.
South Korea’s Top 10 Imports
The following product categories represent the highest dollar value in South Korea’s import purchases during 2025. Also shown is the percentage share each product category represents in terms of overall imports into South Korea.
- Mineral fuels including oil: US$140 billion (22.2% of total imports)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $127.5 billion (20.2%)
- Machinery including computers: $74.7 billion (11.8%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $24.7 billion (3.9%)
- Ores, slag, ash: $20.8 billion (3.3%)
- Vehicles: $20.6 billion (3.3%)
- Organic chemicals: $13.6 billion (2.2%)
- Gems, precious metals: $13.33 billion (2.1%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $13.33 billion (2.1%)
- Iron, steel: $11.8 billion (1.9%)
South Korea’s top 10 import product categories approached three-quarters (72.9%) of the overall value of its product purchases from other countries during 2025.
Imported gems and precious metals resulted in South Korea’s leading percentage spending increase, up by 102.4% from 2024 propelled by gold purchases.
Also posting foremost gains were South Korean imports of machinery including computers (up 13.2%) then optical, technical and medical apparatus (up 8.6%).
Double-digit declines for the above-listed import categories were the -16.9% setback for imported iron and steel, then the -13.7% drop under the mineral fuels including oil product grouping.
Please note that the results listed above are at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level.
Information presented under the sections below is at the more granular 4-digit level.
South Korea’s Main Mineral Fuels Imports
South Korean importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of mineral fuels-related products during 2025.
- Crude oil: US$75.3 billion (down -11.9% from 2024)
- Petroleum gases: $30.5 billion (down -12.1%)
- Processed petroleum oils: $21 billion (down -15.4%)
- Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $12.4 billion (down -24.5%)
- Coal tar oils (high temperature distillation): $554.6 million (down -5%)
- Coke, semi-coke: $86.7 million (up 34.5%)
- Distilled tar: $64.6 million (down -16.7%)
- Petroleum oil residues: $58.3 million (down -28.9%)
- Petroleum jelly, mineral waxes: $32.7 million (down -16%)
- Peat: $26.3 million (up 31.8%)
Among these import subcategories, South Korea’s purchases of coke or semi-coke: (up 34.5%) and peat (up 31.8%) grew from 2024 to 2025.
These amounts and the percentage changes within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported fuel among Korean businesses and consumers.
South Korea’s Main Electronics Imports
In 2025, South Korean importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of electronics products.
- Integrated circuits/microassemblies: US$61.7 billion (up 2% from 2024)
- Phone devices including smartphones: $9.9 billion (up 2.1%)
- Electric storage batteries: $5.4 billion (up 4.6%)
- Insulated wire/cable: $4.8 billion (up 6.1%)
- Solar power diodes/semi-conductors: $4.8 billion (down -6.7%)
- Electrical converters/power units: $4 billion (down -1.1%)
- Electric motors, generators: $3.6 billion (up 3.1%)
- Printed circuits: $3.3 billion (up 11.2%)
- Unrecorded sound media: $2.9 billion (up 52.8%)
- Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $2.5 billion (up 3.8%)
Among these import subcategories, South Korea’s purchases of unrecorded sound media (up 52.8%), printed circuits (up 11.2%) and insulated wire or cable (up 6.1%) grew at the fastest pace from 2024 to 2025.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported electronics among Korean businesses and consumers.
South Korea’s Main Machinery Imports
In 2025, South Korean importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machinery including computers.
- Machinery for making semi-conductors: US$21.8 billion (up 16.6% from 2024)
- Computers, optical readers: $9.4 billion (up 12.1%)
- Computer parts, accessories: $8.4 billion (up 37.4%)
- Turbo-jets: $3.5 billion (up 30.8%)
- Air or vacuum pumps: $3.3 billion (up 13.2%)
- Taps, valves, similar appliances: $2.9 billion (up 7%)
- Miscellaneous machinery: $2.3 billion (up 5.5%)
- Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: $1.9 billion (up 3.5%)
- Liquid pumps and elevators: $1.7 billion (up 3.2%)
- Temperature-change machines: $1.6 billion (up 13.3%)
Among these import subcategories, South Korea’s purchases of computer parts or accessories (up 37.4%), turbo-jets (up 30.8%) and machinery for making semi-conductors (up 16.6%) grew at the fastest pace from 2024 to 2025.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported machinery among Korean businesses and consumers.
South Korea’s Main Vehicles Imports
In 2025, South Korean importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of imported vehicles.
- Cars: US$13.3 billion (up 10.3% from 2024)
- Automobile parts/accessories: $5.1 billion (down -1.9%)
- Trucks: $389.7 million (down -33.2%)
- Motorcycles: $375.2 million (up 0.6%)
- Tractors: $280.6 million (down -7.6%)
- Special purpose vehicles: $188.6 million (down -1.1%)
- Trailers: $185.6 million (down -8.5%)
- Armored vehicles, tanks: $179.9 million (down -5%)
- Public-transport vehicles: $134.3 million (down -48.7%)
- Motorcycle parts/accessories: $130 million (up 5.9%)
Among these import subcategories, South Korea’s purchases of cars (up 10.3%), motorcycle parts or accessories (up 5.9%) and motorcycles (up 0.6%) grew from 2024 to 2025.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported optical, technical and medical products among Korean businesses and consumers.
See also South Korea’s Top 10 Major Export Companies, South Korea’s Top Trade Partners, South Korea’s Top 10 Exports and Top South Korean Trade Balances
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook: Country Profiles. Accessed February 24, 2026
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on February 24, 2026
X-rates.com, Exchange Rates: South Korean Won to US Dollar (monthly average 2025). Accessed on February 24, 2026