South Korea: Foreign Direct Investment, billion dollars

The latest value from 2023 is 15.18 billion U.S. dollars, a decline from 25.04 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 4.49 billion U.S. dollars, based on data from 173 countries. Historically, the average for South Korea from 1970 to 2023 is 5.75 billion U.S. dollars. The minimum value, 0 billion U.S. dollars, was reached in 1973 while the maximum of 25.04 billion U.S. dollars was recorded in 2022. See the global rankings for that indicator or use the country comparator to compare trends over time.

Definition: Foreign direct investment refers to direct investment equity flows in the reporting economy. It is the sum of equity capital, reinvestment of earnings, and other capital. Direct investment is a category of cross-border investment associated with a resident in one economy having control or a significant degree of influence on the management of an enterprise that is resident in another economy. Ownership of 10 percent or more of the ordinary shares of voting stock is the criterion for determining the existence of a direct investment relationship. Data are in current U.S. dollars.