South Korea’s imports increased 22.5% year-on-year to USD 63.51 billion in August 2026, easing from a 26.5% jump in the previous month and coming in below market expectations of 24.7%, according to flash estimates. Although this marked the 10th consecutive month of import growth, it was the weakest expansion since May. The deceleration largely reflected moderating domestic demand, even as robust imports of semiconductor-related products continued to underpin overall trade activity.