South Korea and El Salvador
South Korea and El Salvador share diplomatic relations begun in August 1962. In May 2026, El Salvador's legislature created an annual commemoration recognising the Korean community's contribution to local society.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-08 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-08Bilateral context
El Salvador's Legislative Assembly decreed on 7 May 2026 that Salvadoran–Korean Fellowship Day be celebrated every 30 August.
What merchandise trade shows
In 2025, goods trade between South Korea and El Salvador totalled 314.7 million current USD.
Documented trade sectors
Within the selected chapters, vehicles and components stands out in shipments from South Korea to El Salvador, at 54 million USD in 2025.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 314.71 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Goods: South Korea to El Salvador | 263.09 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Goods: El Salvador to South Korea | 51.62 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: South Korea to El Salvador | 0.0371 % | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Export share: El Salvador to South Korea | ||
| Investment stock: South Korea in El Salvador | ||
| Investment stock: El Salvador 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.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter KOR. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF; no addition of mirror declarations. Both directions are identified from the same customs authority.
- Goods: South Korea to El Salvador
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter KOR. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF; no addition of mirror declarations. Both directions are identified from the same customs authority.
- Goods: El Salvador to South Korea
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter KOR. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF; no addition of mirror declarations. Both directions are identified from the same customs authority.
- Export share: South Korea to El Salvador
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Exports to the partner / worldwide exports by the same reporter; same year and coverage.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
| Indicator | South Korea | El Salvador |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 1.87 trillion USD2025 · WB | 36.71 billion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 36,226.97 USD2025 · WB | 5,766.73 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 1.01 %2025 · WB | 3.91 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | 3 %2026-08-27 · Bank of Korea | |
| Inflation · annual average | 2.12 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 0.26 %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 | 3.3 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -1.4 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -2.8 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 52.3 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 87.2 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | 6.57 %2025 · WB | -3.54 %2025 · WB |
| Population | 51,684,5642025 · WB | 6,365,5032025 · WB |
| Area | 100,450 km²2023 · WB | 21,040 km²2023 · WB |
| 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.El Salvador: 2025 · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- 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.El Salvador: 2025 · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- 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.El Salvador: 2025 · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- 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.El Salvador: 2025 · Annual average CPI change (%) · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- 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.El Salvador: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate; percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- 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.El Salvador: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- 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.El Salvador: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- 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.El Salvador: 2025 · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- Population
- PeopleSouth Korea: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.El Salvador: 2025 · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- 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.El Salvador: 2023 · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- 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 El Salvador
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Vehicles and components | 54 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 9.9 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 7.8 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 4.4 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 4.3 M USD2025 · Source |
El Salvador to South Korea
How trade has changed
Millions of current USD · full calendar years
View chart figures
| Period | Total | South Korea to El Salvador | El Salvador to South Korea |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 352.7 | 254.5 | 98.2 |
| 2022 | 277.4 | 208.1 | 69.2 |
| 2023 | 259.5 | 198.4 | 61.1 |
| 2024 | 284.7 | 224.2 | 60.5 |
| 2025 | 314.7 | 263.1 | 51.6 |
Connections between people
The announced objective is to recognise the Korean community's contribution to El Salvador's development and strengthen friendship and cooperation between both peoples. The measure is civic and symbolic: it connects diplomatic history with a community living and participating in the Central American country. [1]
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 El Salvador | ||
| Residents from El Salvador living in South Korea | ||
| Study and training: South Korea in El Salvador | ||
| Study and training: El Salvador in South Korea | ||
| Academic stays: South Korea in El Salvador | ||
| Academic stays: El Salvador in South Korea | ||
| Travel: South Korea to El Salvador | ||
| Travel: El Salvador 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.
Bilateral context
El Salvador's Legislative Assembly decreed on 7 May 2026 that Salvadoran–Korean Fellowship Day be celebrated every 30 August. The date coincides with the establishment of diplomatic relations on 30 August 1962. [1]
The scale of both economies
Nominal GDP for South Korea is 1,872.4 billion USD (2025), compared with 36.7 for El Salvador (2025). The reference populations are 51.68 and 6.37 million, respectively. In the same year, the economy of South Korea was 51.01 times that of El Salvador in nominal GDP. The comparison provides context on market size, but does not, on its own, measure influence, well-being or diplomatic closeness. Estimates and their sources retain their labels in the tables. [5] [6] [7] [8]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Review: 2026-10-08
Cooperation and bilateral issues
The announced objective is to recognise the Korean community's contribution to El Salvador's development and strengthen friendship and cooperation between both peoples. The Korean embassy thanked legislators and the Salvadoran population for the recognition. The measure is civic and symbolic: it connects diplomatic history with a community living and participating in the Central American country. [1]
What merchandise trade shows
In 2025, merchandise trade between the two countries (South Korea and El Salvador) totalled 314.7 million current USD. Shipments from the first to the second were 263.1 million; those in the opposite direction, 51.6 million. The difference between the two flows was 211.5 million, in favour of South Korea. This is a goods balance, not the total balance of the economic relationship: it excludes services, income and transfers. Both directions come from a single customs reporter to avoid adding mirror records. [2]
The partner's share of exports
Sales from South Korea to the partner represented 0.0371% of its worldwide goods exports in 2025. The share compares the same reporter, year and coverage. It measures export concentration, not the percentage of GDP dependent on this relationship. A partner may be important in a specific sector even if its share of total goods trade is small. [2]
Five years of trade trends
The consistent series shows 352.7 million USD in 2021 and 314.7 million in 2025. The change between the two endpoints was -10.8 % in current dollars. The highest annual value in the period was recorded in 2021, at 352.7 million. The chart allows the two directions to be compared to see whether they moved together or differently. The change combines quantities, prices and exchange rates; it is not automatically attributed to a treaty, a visit or a political decision. The same reporter is retained and missing years are not interpolated. [3]
Documented trade sectors
Within the selected chapters, vehicles and components stands out in shipments from South Korea to El Salvador, at 54 million USD in 2025. Within the selected chapters, electrical and electronic equipment stands out in shipments from El Salvador to South Korea, at 29.7 million USD in 2025. The table compares eight selected chapters with the same coverage as the trade total. It is not a complete list or proof that the first item in this selection is the leading product across the entire relationship. A chapter groups numerous goods: machinery and components, for example, do not describe a single business transaction. [4]
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Institutional sources and periods accompany each figure. Annual trade, investment positions, residents and visits are distinct measures. Empty cells do not mean zero. Statements of intent are not presented as project implementation or treaties in force.
- Bilateral relations — KOR-SLV
slv.mofa.go.kr · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record
UN Comtrade · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Trade series 2021–2025
UN Comtrade · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record
UN Comtrade · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; 2023–2025; country and period preserved; no military series
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official series — gdp
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- SP.POP.TOTL; 2023–2025; country and period preserved; no military series
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official series — population
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade
2026-10-08 · Accessed: 2026-10-08 · Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record.