South Korea’s imports climbed 16.7% year-on-year to USD 62.11 billion in April 2026, the second-highest level on record. This marked an acceleration from the 13.2% increase recorded in the previous month and exceeded market expectations of 14.5%, according to flash data. The result represented the sixth consecutive month of import growth and the fastest expansion since September 2022, underscoring resilient domestic demand despite ongoing disruptions to trade flows stemming from the conflict in the Middle East.