United States and South Korea
The military alliance addresses the Korean Peninsula's security problem. Trade and investment connect industries and markets, and education adds extensive civilian contacts. The 2025 negotiations introduced industrial and trade commitments that must be distinguished from investment already carried out.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07Deterrence and cooperation on the peninsula
The alliance is framed by the 1953 mutual defence treaty.
KORUS provides the trade framework
The KORUS treaty was signed in June 2007 and entered into force on 15 March 2012.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 194,614.5 M USD | 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau |
| Goods: United States to South Korea | 69,068.6 M USD | 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau |
| Goods: South Korea to United States | 125,545.9 M USD | 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau |
| Services trade | 44,400 M USDUSTR est. | 2025 · USTR |
| Export share: United States to South Korea | ||
| Export share: South Korea to United States | ||
| Investment stock: United States in South Korea | 37,438 M USDBEA est. | 2025 · BEA |
| Investment stock: South Korea in United States | 95,204 M USDBEA est. | 2025 · BEA |
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 · U.S. Census Bureau · Goods for January–December 2025, millions of USD, U.S. reporter. Excludes services, affiliate sales and the addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: United States to South Korea
- 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · Goods for January–December 2025, millions of USD, U.S. reporter. Excludes services, affiliate sales and the addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: South Korea to United States
- 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · Goods for January–December 2025, millions of USD, U.S. reporter. Excludes services, affiliate sales and the addition of mirror reports.
- Services trade
- 2025 · USTR · Bilateral services total estimated and published by USTR. The total is retained, not the sum of rounded components.
- Investment stock: United States in South Korea
- 2025 · BEA · Direct investment position at historical cost; immediate counterpart. Not portfolio investment or announced commitments.
- Investment stock: South Korea in United States
- 2025 · BEA · Direct investment position at historical cost; immediate counterpart. Not portfolio investment or announced commitments.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
Year-on-year inflation: different periods or frequencies; the two figures are not directly comparable.
| Indicator | United States | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 30.77 trillion USD2025 · WB | 1.87 trillion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 90,026.52 USD2025 · WB | 36,226.97 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 2.16 %2025 · WB | 1.01 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | 3.75–4 %2026-09-16 · Fed | 3 %2026-08-27 · Bank of Korea |
| Inflation · annual average | 2.7 %IMF est.Annual average · 2025 · IMF | 2.12 %Annual average · 2025 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 3.4 %Year-on-year · Aug. 2026 · BLS | 2.9 %Headline CPI · 2026-09 · year-on-year · Ministry of Data and Statistics |
| Unemployment | 4.2 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 2.68 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -6.8 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -1.4 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 123.9 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 52.3 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | -3.63 %2025 · WB | 6.57 %2025 · WB |
| Population | 341,784,8572025 · WB | 51,684,5642025 · WB |
| Area | 9,831,510 km²2023 · BM / FAO | 100,450 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 USDUnited States: 2025 · World BankSouth 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 personUnited States: 2025 · World BankSouth 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 (%)United States: 2025 · World BankSouth 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 (%)United States: 2026-09-16 · Federal funds target range · Federal ReserveSouth 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 (%)United States: 2025 · Average annual change in headline CPI (%) · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est. · WEO estimate; not the year-on-year change for December or August 2026. · Alternative official source; verified 2026-10-07South 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 statedUnited States: 2026-08 · Headline CPI change relative to the same month of the previous year (%) · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Published: 2026-09-11 · Headline year-on-year CPI-U, not seasonally adjusted; not monthly or core inflation.South 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 institutionUnited States: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.South 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.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)United States: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.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)United States: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.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 GDPUnited States: 2025 · World BankSouth Korea: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Population
- PeopleUnited States: 2025 · World BankSouth Korea: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceUnited States: 2023 · Total area including inland waters; territorial coverage of the source · World Bank · FAOSouth Korea: 2023 · World Bank / FAO · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- 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.
United States to South Korea
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
South Korea to United States
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
How trade has changed
Billions of current USD · full calendar years
View chart figures
| Period | Total | United States to South Korea | South Korea to United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 160,910.2 | 65,807.1 | 95,103.1 |
| 2022 | 187,331.1 | 72,034.3 | 115,296.8 |
| 2023 | 181,248.9 | 64,943.6 | 116,305.3 |
| 2024 | 197,228.6 | 65,771.3 | 131,457.3 |
| 2025 | 194,614.5 | 69,068.6 | 125,545.9 |
Connections between people
Academic activity and travel form an important civilian dimension alongside the security alliance and industrial ties. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from United States living in South Korea | ||
| Residents from South Korea living in United States | ||
| Study and training: United States in South Korea | ||
| Study and training: South Korea in United StatesStudy and OPT training in the United States | 42,293 | 2024/25 · Open Doors |
| Academic stays: United States in South KoreaU.S. study-abroad stays carrying academic credit | 6,184 | 2023/24 · Open Doors |
| Academic stays: South Korea in United States | ||
| Travel: United States to South Korea | ||
| Travel: South Korea to United StatesResidence in South Korea; international arrivals | 1,647,142arrivals | 2025 · NTTO / U.S. Department of Commerce |
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.
- Study and training: South Korea in United States
- Open Doors: place of origin, enrolment and OPT training. Not visas issued or a count of residents. 2024/25 · Open Doors
- Academic stays: United States in South Korea
- Open Doors: mobility carrying academic credit reported by U.S. institutions. A different academic year from the count of foreign students. 2023/24 · Open Doors
- Travel: South Korea to United States
- International arrivals in the United States by country of residence; not unique visitors, nationality or emigration. Coverage and revisions of the NTTO series. 2025 · NTTO / U.S. Department of Commerce
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
Deterrence and cooperation on the peninsula
The alliance is framed by the 1953 mutual defence treaty. The 2023 Washington Declaration deepened consultations on extended deterrence and South Korean participation in that dialogue. The central issue is how to respond to North Korean risks and coordinate the capabilities and decisions of both governments. The nuclear cooperation described in the declaration does not amount to transferring nuclear weapons to South Korea or replacing its national forces. [2]
KORUS provides the trade framework
The KORUS treaty was signed in June 2007 and entered into force on 15 March 2012. USTR presents it as part of the framework for merchandise, services and market access. Its estimates put services trade at 44,400 million dollars in 2025. The customs statistics and investment positions in the table allow cross-border sales and accumulated direct capital to be examined separately. [1]
Investment, shipbuilding and digital rules
The November 2025 profile describes a strategic trade and investment negotiation, with shipbuilding and industrial commitments among its components. It also includes data issues, digital rules and non-discriminatory treatment. These are areas where a business relationship depends on regulation as much as tariffs. An investment commitment stated in the document is not treated here as capital already disbursed or as a BEA direct investment position. [3]
An academic connection measured using several criteria
Open Doors provides figures for students and training participants of South Korean origin in the United States and US mobility to South Korea. The table retains the distinction between enrolment including OPT and study stays from the preceding academic year. NTTO measures arrivals by residence, not nationality. These connections show specific civilian activities alongside the military alliance without automatically turning students and tourists into an emigrant population. [1]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
Security and the economy follow different timetables
The South Korean document of May 2026 records follow-up on security cooperation; the USTR profile from the preceding November details the trade dimension. The two channels should be read separately. Deterrence consultations do not prove that industrial investments have been carried out, and a market-access negotiation does not by itself change the defence treaty's obligations. The relationship combines both dimensions, each with its own institutions and implementation periods. [3] [4]
What recorded goods show
In 2025, recorded goods trade was 194,614.5 million USD. Shipments from the United States to South Korea were 69,068.6 million USD, and those in the opposite direction were 125,545.9 million USD. A single reporter is used for both directions. The difference between those flows describes that source's goods balance, not the entire economic balance: services, affiliate activity and investment have independent measures. [5]
Milestones and consequences
- 1953
Mutual defence treaty
Framework of the bilateral alliance. [2]
- 2012-03-15
KORUS enters into force
Implementation of the trade treaty begins. [1]
- 2023-04
Washington Declaration
New mechanisms for deterrence consultations. [2]
- 2025-11
Strategic trade agreement
USTR publishes the trade and investment agenda. [3]
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.
- Trade relations and agreements
USTR · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- 70th anniversary of the alliance and Washington Declaration
South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs · Institutional source · Document: 2023-04 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Korea Strategic Trade and Investment Deal
USTR · Institutional source · Document: 2025-11 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Follow-up on security cooperation
South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs · Institutional source · Document: 2026-05-29 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- TOTAL rows 2021–2025; goods; US reporter; million USD
U.S. Census Bureau · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07