South Korea’s imports climbed 4.6% year-on-year to a 33-month high of USD 57.40 billion in December 2025, after a downwardly revised 1.1% increase in the previous month and exceeding market expectations of a 2.4% gain, flash data showed. It was the second consecutive month of growth, supported by higher non-energy imports, such as semiconductor manufacturing equipment. In contrast, energy imports fell due to lower oil prices. For the full year of 2025, imports edged down 0.02% to USD 631.7 billion. The country relies heavily on energy purchases from abroad, making it the world’s eighth-largest consumer. In 2024, imports fell 1.6% from the previous year to USD 632.0 billion.