South Korea and Switzerland
South Korea and Switzerland combine political exchanges and advanced technologies with multilateral cooperation. The February 2024 dialogue connected quantum and biological sectors with UN Security Council coordination.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-08 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-08Bilateral context
Cho Tae-yul and Ignazio Cassis met on 6 February 2024 and recalled activities marking the sixtieth diplomatic anniversary in 2023.
Cooperation and bilateral issues
In 2024, both were non-permanent Security Council members, and Korea thanked Switzerland for its role chairing the 1718 committee concerning North Korea.
Cooperation and bilateral issues
In 2024, both were non-permanent Security Council members, and Korea thanked Switzerland for its role chairing the 1718 committee concerning North Korea.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | ||
| Goods: South Korea to Switzerland | ||
| Goods: Switzerland to South Korea | ||
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: South Korea to Switzerland | ||
| Export share: Switzerland to South Korea | ||
| Investment stock: South Korea in Switzerland | ||
| Investment stock: Switzerland 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 | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 1.87 trillion USD2025 · WB | 1.04 trillion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 36,226.97 USD2025 · WB | 114,769.01 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 1.01 %2025 · WB | 1.3 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | 3 %2026-08-27 · Bank of Korea | |
| Inflation · annual average | 2.12 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 0.15 %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 | 4.87 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -1.4 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 0.5 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 52.3 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 39.4 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | 6.57 %2025 · WB | 6.98 %2025 · WB |
| Population | 51,684,5642025 · WB | 9,092,436World Bank est.2025 · WB |
| Area | 100,450 km²2023 · WB | 41,291 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.Switzerland: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- 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.Switzerland: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- 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.Switzerland: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- 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.Switzerland: 2025 · Annual average CPI change (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- 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.Switzerland: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate; percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series. Observation year, 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.Switzerland: 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.Switzerland: 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.Switzerland: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Population
- PeopleSouth Korea: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Switzerland: 2025 · World Bank · WB est. · The World Bank indicates a population extrapolation; this is not a 2025 census count.
- 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.Switzerland: 2023 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, 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 Switzerland
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
Switzerland to South Korea
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
Connections between people
Their overlapping terms and the committee chairmanship concern the meeting's period, not perpetual offices. [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 Switzerland | ||
| Residents from Switzerland living in South Korea | ||
| Study and training: South Korea in Switzerland | ||
| Study and training: Switzerland in South Korea | ||
| Academic stays: South Korea in Switzerland | ||
| Academic stays: Switzerland in South Korea | ||
| Travel: South Korea to Switzerland | ||
| Travel: Switzerland 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.
The scale of both economies
Nominal GDP for South Korea is 1,872.4 billion USD (2025), compared with 1,043.5 for Switzerland (2025). The reference populations are 51.68 and 9.09 million, respectively. In the same year, the economy of South Korea was 1.79 times that of Switzerland 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. [2] [3] [4] [5]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Review: 2026-10-08
Bilateral context
Cho Tae-yul and Ignazio Cassis met on 6 February 2024 and recalled activities marking the sixtieth diplomatic anniversary in 2023. They agreed to promote trade and quantum and biological cooperation and continue working together on regional affairs. [1]
Cooperation and bilateral issues
In 2024, both were non-permanent Security Council members, and Korea thanked Switzerland for its role chairing the 1718 committee concerning North Korea. Cassis expressed support for denuclearisation efforts and peace on the peninsula. They also examined the war in Ukraine and restoring peace. Their overlapping terms and the committee chairmanship concern the meeting's period, not perpetual offices. The technology agenda identifies collaboration objectives, not a particular scientific project already financed. [1]
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 — CHE-KOR
www.mofa.go.kr · 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
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
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
- SP.POP.TOTL; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07