South Korea and North Korea
The division of the peninsula, security and humanitarian issues dominate the relationship. The 1953 armistice is not a peace treaty. Proposals for dialogue and cooperation must be distinguished from agreements accepted by both sides and from an actual reopening of exchanges.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07A cessation of hostilities, not a final peace
The July 1953 agreement established a military armistice framework and a demilitarised zone.
The international sanctions framework
The 1718 Committee oversees Security Council measures relating to North Korean programmes.
Preparation of the new plan in March 2026
The March committee meeting addresses preparation of the fifth basic plan for inter-Korean relations, with political and humanitarian objectives.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | ||
| Goods: South Korea to North Korea | ||
| Goods: North Korea to South Korea | ||
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: South Korea to North Korea | ||
| Export share: North Korea to South Korea | ||
| Investment stock: South Korea in North Korea | ||
| Investment stock: North Korea in South Korea |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
| Indicator | South Korea | North Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 1.87 trillion USD2025 · WB | |
| GDP per capita | 36,226.97 USD2025 · WB | |
| GDP growth | 1.01 %2025 · WB | |
| Policy interest rate | 3 %2026-08-27 · Bank of Korea | |
| Inflation · annual average | 2.12 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 2.9 %Headline CPI · 2026-09 · year-on-year · Ministry of Data and Statistics | |
| Unemployment | 2.68 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 3.55 %ILO est.2025 · World Bank |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -1.4 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 52.3 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | 6.57 %2025 · WB | |
| Population | 51,684,5642025 · WB | 26,571,0362025 · World Bank |
| Area | 100,450 km²2023 · WB | 120,540 km²2023 · World Bank |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDSouth Korea: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personSouth Korea: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)South Korea: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)South Korea: 2026-08-27 · Base Rate · Bank of Korea · Official central-bank decision; not a commercial lending rate or a bill yield.
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)South Korea: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedSouth Korea: 2026-09 · National headline CPI, change from the same month of the previous year · Ministry of Data and Statistics · Published: 2026-10-02 · Official monthly data. Not mixed with the annual average. · Alternative official source; verified 2026-10-07
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionSouth Korea: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate, % of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.North Korea: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate, percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)South Korea: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)South Korea: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPSouth Korea: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Population
- PeopleSouth Korea: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.North Korea: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceSouth Korea: 2023 · World Bank / FAO · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.North Korea: 2023 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
South Korea to North Korea
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
North Korea to South Korea
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
Connections between people
The needs of families and communities are a distinct dimension; humanitarian authorisations, delivered projects and actual mobility are different measures. [2]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from South Korea living in North Korea | ||
| Residents from North Korea living in South Korea | ||
| Study and training: South Korea in North Korea | ||
| Study and training: North Korea in South Korea | ||
| Academic stays: South Korea in North Korea | ||
| Academic stays: North Korea in South Korea | ||
| Travel: South Korea to North Korea | ||
| Travel: North Korea to South Korea |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
A cessation of hostilities, not a final peace
The July 1953 agreement established a military armistice framework and a demilitarised zone. It was signed by commanders of the United Nations Command, North Korea and the Chinese People's Volunteers; South Korea was not a signatory. The text is not a peace treaty. This distinction helps explain why military institutions and subsequent political negotiations have their own role in the peninsula's security. [1]
The international sanctions framework
The 1718 Committee oversees Security Council measures relating to North Korean programmes. These include restrictions in specific areas and obligations for member states. They do not constitute a uniform blockade of all humanitarian activity. The international regime is distinct from a unilateral South Korean measure, and the exact volume of exchanges between the two Koreas in a year cannot be inferred from it either. [4]
Aid has exemption procedures
The Council has a humanitarian exemption mechanism with specific projects and authorisations. The list includes applications relating to health, water and other needs. An exemption authorises a defined scope and timetable; it does not by itself establish final delivery or continued access on the ground. A humanitarian need is also distinguished from either side's government position on security or negotiations. [5]
The South Korean agenda is not a bilateral agreement
The 2026 work plan contains proposals on dialogue and cooperation, including issues such as Kaesong and Mount Kumgang. They are attributed to South Korea's Ministry of Unification. Proposing a reopening does not demonstrate North Korean acceptance or actual operation. Missing trade or travel data remain unknown; they are not filled with zero simply because a project is suspended or a proposal has not been implemented. [2]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
Preparation of the new plan in March 2026
The March committee meeting addresses preparation of the fifth basic plan for inter-Korean relations, with political and humanitarian objectives. It documents institutional work in South Korea, not a summit held or commitments undertaken by North Korea. This profile separates the armistice, international restrictions and the current dialogue agenda so that readers can distinguish legal facts, proposals and observed results. [3]
Milestones and consequences
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Each figure retains its period, currency, definition and source. Blank cells are not zero. Policy documents are distinguished from statistical results, and projects under way from announcements.
- 1953 armistice: text
US National Archives · Institutional source · Document: 1953-07-27 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- 2026 work plan
South Korea's Ministry of Unification · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Committee and plan for inter-Korean relations
South Korea's Ministry of Unification · Institutional source · Document: 2026-03-19 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- 1718 Committee and sanctions on the DPRK
United Nations Security Council · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Humanitarian exemptions
United Nations Security Council · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07