Türkiye and South Korea
Türkiye and South Korea combine industrial trade, investment and tourism. Goods, services and investment treaties establish differentiated economic instruments.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-08 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-08History and institutional framework
The free trade framework entered into force on 1 May 2013; the services and investment agreements did so on 1 August 2018.
What merchandise trade shows
In 2025, goods trade between Türkiye and South Korea totalled 11,396.2 million current USD.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 11,396.2 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / TUR |
| Goods: Türkiye to South Korea | 1,135.43 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / TUR |
| Goods: South Korea to Türkiye | 10,260.77 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / TUR |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: Türkiye to South Korea | 0.415 % | 2025 · UN Comtrade / TUR |
| Export share: South Korea to Türkiye | ||
| Investment stock: Türkiye in South Korea | ||
| Investment stock: South Korea in Türkiye |
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 / TUR · Goods; full year; reporter TUR. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. Mirror reports are not added together.
- Goods: Türkiye to South Korea
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / TUR · Goods; full year; reporter TUR. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. Mirror reports are not added together.
- Goods: South Korea to Türkiye
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / TUR · Goods; full year; reporter TUR. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. Mirror reports are not added together.
- Export share: Türkiye to South Korea
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / TUR · Goods share: TUR exports to the partner / exports by the same reporter to the world, same year.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
Some annual indicators refer to different years. Check the period beside each value before comparing them.
| Indicator | Türkiye | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 1.6 trillion USD2025 · WB | 1.87 trillion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 18,599.44 USD2025 · WB | 36,226.97 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 3.6 %2025 · WB | 1.01 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | 37 %2026-09-10 · TCMB | 3 %2026-08-27 · Bank of Korea |
| Inflation · annual average | 34.88 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 2.12 %Annual average · 2025 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 29.73 %Headline CPI · 2026-09 · year-on-year · TCMB / TURKSTAT | 2.9 %Headline CPI · 2026-09 · year-on-year · Ministry of Data and Statistics |
| Unemployment | 8.52 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 2.68 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -2.8 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -1.4 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 23.5 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 52.3 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | -0.77 %2024 · WB | 6.57 %2025 · WB |
| Population | 85,878,5562025 · WB | 51,684,5642025 · WB |
| Area | 785,350 km²2023 · WB | 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 USDTürkiye: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.South 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 personTürkiye: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.South 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 (%)Türkiye: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.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 (%)Türkiye: 2026-09-10 · One-week repo auction rate · TCMB · Official central-bank decision; not a commercial lending rate or a bill yield.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 (%)Türkiye: 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.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 statedTürkiye: 2026-09 · National headline CPI, change from the same month of the previous year · TCMB / TURKSTAT · Official monthly data. Not mixed with the annual average. · Alternative official source; verified 2026-10-07South 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 institutionTürkiye: 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.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)Türkiye: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.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)Türkiye: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.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 GDPTürkiye: 2024 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.South Korea: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Population
- PeopleTürkiye: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.South 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 sourceTürkiye: 2023 · World Bank / FAO · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.South 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.
Türkiye to South Korea
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Pharmaceutical products | 392.9 M USD2025 · Source |
| Metal ores | 133.2 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 115.9 M USD2025 · Source |
| Vehicles and components | 36 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 24.7 M USD2025 · Source |
| Dairy products, eggs and honey | 1.9 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 1.1 M USD2025 · Source |
| Meat and edible offal | 0.0399 M USD2025 · Source |
South Korea to Türkiye
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Vehicles and components | 1,441 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 1,237.5 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 598.7 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 394 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 15.2 M USD2025 · Source |
| Metal ores | 0.000013 M USD2025 · Source |
| Dairy products, eggs and honey | 0.000005 M USD2025 · Source |
How trade has changed
Billions of current USD · full calendar years
View chart figures
| Period | Total | Türkiye to South Korea | South Korea to Türkiye |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 8,593.3 | 996.2 | 7,597 |
| 2022 | 10,056.4 | 1,052 | 9,004.4 |
| 2023 | 10,529.6 | 1,041.6 | 9,488 |
| 2024 | 10,216.8 | 971.1 | 9,245.6 |
| 2025 | 11,396.2 | 1,135.4 | 10,260.8 |
Connections between people
The ministry documents 206,931 South Korean tourists in Türkiye and 46,027 Turkish tourists in South Korea for 2024. It reports 226,434 South Korean tourists for 2025, but the available Turkish figure covers only nine months; the periods are not compared as though both were full years. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
Travel figures retain each source's coverage. Check the definitions and periods before comparing the two directions.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from Türkiye living in South Korea | ||
| Residents from South Korea living in Türkiye | ||
| Study and training: Türkiye in South Korea | ||
| Study and training: South Korea in Türkiye | ||
| Academic stays: Türkiye in South Korea | ||
| Academic stays: South Korea in Türkiye | ||
| Travel: Türkiye to South KoreaTurkish tourists who visited South Korea during the year. | 46,027 | 2024 · Institutional source |
| Travel: South Korea to TürkiyeSouth Korean tourists who visited Türkiye during the year. | 226,434 | 2025 · Institutional source |
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.
- Travel: Türkiye to South Korea
- The last full year cited is retained. The 45,967 figure for January–September 2025 is not extrapolated to all of 2025. 2024 · Institutional source
- Travel: South Korea to Türkiye
- Full year. The profile also publishes 206,931 for 2024. Not counted as a resident population. 2025 · Institutional source
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
History and institutional framework
The free trade framework entered into force on 1 May 2013; the services and investment agreements did so on 1 August 2018. The currency swap agreement between central banks was signed on 12 August 2021: it is not itself utilized financing or direct investment. [1]
The scale of both economies
Nominal GDP for Türkiye is 1,597.3 billion USD (2025), compared with 1,872.4 for South Korea (2025). The reference populations are 85.88 and 51.68 million, respectively. In the same year, the economy of Türkiye was 0.853 times that of South Korea 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]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Review: 2026-10-08
Cooperation and bilateral issues
The economic and technical commission met in Seoul on 25 February 2026. The profile identifies electronic equipment, vehicles and machinery among Turkish imports from Korea; medicines, hydrocarbon gases and vehicle parts among its exports. [1]
What merchandise trade shows
In 2025, merchandise trade between the two countries (Türkiye and South Korea) totalled 11,396.2 million current USD. Shipments from the first to the second were 1,135.4 million; those in the opposite direction, 10,260.8 million. The difference between the two flows was 9,125.3 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 Türkiye to the partner represented 0.415% 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 8,593.3 million USD in 2021 and 11,396.2 million in 2025. The change between the two endpoints was +32.6 % in current dollars. The highest annual value in the period was recorded in 2025, at 11,396.2 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, pharmaceutical products stands out in shipments from Türkiye to South Korea, at 392.9 million USD in 2025. Within the selected chapters, vehicles and components stands out in shipments from South Korea to Türkiye, at 1,441 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]
Documented mobility and communities
Travel from South Korea in Türkiye: 226,434 (2025). South Korean tourists who visited Türkiye during the year.. Full year. The profile also publishes 206,931 for 2024. Not counted as a resident population. [1]
Travel from Türkiye to South Korea: 46,027 (2024). Turkish tourists who visited South Korea during the year.. The last full year cited is retained. The 45,967 figure for January–September 2025 is not extrapolated to all of 2025. [1]
Milestones and consequences
- 2026-02-25
Economic commission in Seoul
The ninth economic and technical cooperation meeting was held. [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 — TUR-KOR
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Annual TOTAL X/M; 2025; reporter 792; partners 0,24,44,48,52,112,56,84,204,72,96,120,208,212,214,222,232,246,266,308,320,624,348,380,400,398,404,296,418,428,422,426,430,440,450,454,458,466,478,480,484,498,496,499,504,508,104,516,524,558,562,566,807,579,586,275,591,600,604,608,616,178,646,882,686,688,694,702,703,706,410,728,729,752,756,762,834,764,768,788,795,798,858,860,548,862,704,887,894,716,705
UN Comtrade / TUR · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Trade series 2021–2025
UN Comtrade / TUR · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record
UN Comtrade; reporters TUR · 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
- SP.POP.TOTL; 2023–2025; country and period preserved; no military series
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade; reporters TUR
2026-10-08 · Accessed: 2026-10-08 · Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record.