Seoul, July 08 (QNA) – The Republic of Korea posted an all-time high current account surplus in May on robust exports of semiconductors, marking the 37th consecutive month of surplus since May 2023.

The Bank of Korea (BOK) showed in a statement Wednesday that the current account surplus totaled $38.61 billion in May, up from $28.29 billion the previous month.

It marked the largest monthly current account surplus ever, renewing the previous record of $37.93 billion set in March.

In 2025, the country posted its largest annual surplus on record at $123.05 billion, exceeding the previous high of $105.1 billion set in 2015.

The goods account posted a surplus of $37.86 billion in May, marking the largest, as exports surged 62.9% on-year to $94.34 billion, while imports went up 22.2% to about $56.48 billion.

The services account recorded a deficit of $1.09 billion in May, compared with $2.56 billion in the same month last year, and $2.42 billion in April.

The primary income account, which includes wages of foreign workers and returns of profits and interest from abroad, recorded a surplus of $2.17 billion in May, compared to a deficit of $2.53 billion in the previous month.

In the financial account, net assets increased by $31.08 billion during May, with direct investment by Korean residents abroad increasing by about $4.56 billion, and foreign direct investment in South Korea increasing by $2.69 billion. Residents’ investment in overseas portfolios, especially in stocks, also increased by $6.24 billion, while foreign investors reduced their investments in Korea, particularly in stocks, by about $24.65 billion. (QNA)