Seoul: 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.

According to Qatar News Agency, 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.