Official exchange rate in South Korea
South Korea: Official exchange rate was 1,422 LCU per US$, period average in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
1,422 LCU per US$, period average
Change on year
up 4.3%
World rank
23rd
of 215 countries
All-time high
1,422 LCU per US$, period average
in 2025
All-time low
63.12 LCU per US$, period average
in 1960
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Official exchange rate in South Korea, 1960–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in LCU per US$, period average.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 1,422 LCU per US$, period average for official exchange rate in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.3% on the previous year and up 25.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, official exchange rate in South Korea peaked at 1,422 LCU per US$, period average in 2025 and was at its lowest, 63.12 LCU per US$, period average, in 1960.
South Korea ranks 23rd of 215 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Official exchange rate in South Korea, year by year
| Year | LCU per US$, period average | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 63.12 LCU per US$, period average | — |
| 1961 | 124.79 LCU per US$, period average | +97.7% |
| 1962 | 130 LCU per US$, period average | +4.2% |
| 1963 | 130 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 213.85 LCU per US$, period average | +64.5% |
| 1965 | 266.27 LCU per US$, period average | +24.5% |
| 1966 | 271.13 LCU per US$, period average | +1.8% |
| 1967 | 270.51 LCU per US$, period average | -0.2% |
| 1968 | 276.64 LCU per US$, period average | +2.3% |
| 1969 | 288.24 LCU per US$, period average | +4.2% |
| 1970 | 310.56 LCU per US$, period average | +7.7% |
| 1971 | 347.15 LCU per US$, period average | +11.8% |
| 1972 | 392.89 LCU per US$, period average | +13.2% |
| 1973 | 398.32 LCU per US$, period average | +1.4% |
| 1974 | 404.47 LCU per US$, period average | +1.5% |
| 1975 | 484 LCU per US$, period average | +19.7% |
| 1976 | 484 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 484 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 484 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 484 LCU per US$, period average | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 607.72 LCU per US$, period average | +25.6% |
| 1981 | 681.03 LCU per US$, period average | +12.1% |
| 1982 | 731.17 LCU per US$, period average | +7.4% |
| 1983 | 775.75 LCU per US$, period average | +6.1% |
| 1984 | 805.97 LCU per US$, period average | +3.9% |
| 1985 | 870.02 LCU per US$, period average | +7.9% |
| 1986 | 881.46 LCU per US$, period average | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 822.56 LCU per US$, period average | -6.7% |
| 1988 | 731.46 LCU per US$, period average | -11.1% |
| 1989 | 671.46 LCU per US$, period average | -8.2% |
| 1990 | 707.77 LCU per US$, period average | +5.4% |
| 1991 | 733.33 LCU per US$, period average | +3.6% |
| 1992 | 780.67 LCU per US$, period average | +6.5% |
| 1993 | 802.54 LCU per US$, period average | +2.8% |
| 1994 | 803.77 LCU per US$, period average | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 771.25 LCU per US$, period average | -4.0% |
| 1996 | 804.46 LCU per US$, period average | +4.3% |
| 1997 | 949.89 LCU per US$, period average | +18.1% |
| 1998 | 1,403 LCU per US$, period average | +47.7% |
| 1999 | 1,189 LCU per US$, period average | -15.2% |
| 2000 | 1,130 LCU per US$, period average | -5.0% |
| 2001 | 1,291 LCU per US$, period average | +14.2% |
| 2002 | 1,252 LCU per US$, period average | -3.0% |
| 2003 | 1,192 LCU per US$, period average | -4.8% |
| 2004 | 1,146 LCU per US$, period average | -3.8% |
| 2005 | 1,024 LCU per US$, period average | -10.6% |
| 2006 | 955.34 LCU per US$, period average | -6.7% |
| 2007 | 929.38 LCU per US$, period average | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 1,100 LCU per US$, period average | +18.4% |
| 2009 | 1,277 LCU per US$, period average | +16.1% |
| 2010 | 1,156 LCU per US$, period average | -9.5% |
| 2011 | 1,108 LCU per US$, period average | -4.2% |
| 2012 | 1,127 LCU per US$, period average | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 1,095 LCU per US$, period average | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 1,053 LCU per US$, period average | -3.8% |
| 2015 | 1,131 LCU per US$, period average | +7.4% |
| 2016 | 1,161 LCU per US$, period average | +2.6% |
| 2017 | 1,131 LCU per US$, period average | -2.6% |
| 2018 | 1,100 LCU per US$, period average | -2.7% |
| 2019 | 1,165 LCU per US$, period average | +5.9% |
| 2020 | 1,180 LCU per US$, period average | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 1,144 LCU per US$, period average | -3.1% |
| 2022 | 1,291 LCU per US$, period average | +12.9% |
| 2023 | 1,306 LCU per US$, period average | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 1,363 LCU per US$, period average | +4.4% |
| 2025 | 1,422 LCU per US$, period average | +4.3% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 1,422 LCU per US$, period average is above the median for high income countries, which is 1 LCU per US$, period average, 1422.4× the median. (84 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 1,422 LCU per US$, period average is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.2 LCU per US$, period average, 338.4× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Official exchange rate in South Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | +97.7% | 63.12 LCU per US$, period average | 124.79 LCU per US$, period average |
| 1964 | +64.5% | 130 LCU per US$, period average | 213.85 LCU per US$, period average |
| 1998 | +47.7% | 949.89 LCU per US$, period average | 1,403 LCU per US$, period average |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 203.46 LCU per US$, period average | 63.12 LCU per US$, period average | 288.24 LCU per US$, period average | 10 |
| 1970s | 427.34 LCU per US$, period average | 310.56 LCU per US$, period average | 484 LCU per US$, period average | 10 |
| 1980s | 757.86 LCU per US$, period average | 607.72 LCU per US$, period average | 881.46 LCU per US$, period average | 10 |
| 1990s | 894.63 LCU per US$, period average | 707.77 LCU per US$, period average | 1,403 LCU per US$, period average | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,130 LCU per US$, period average | 929.38 LCU per US$, period average | 1,291 LCU per US$, period average | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,123 LCU per US$, period average | 1,053 LCU per US$, period average | 1,165 LCU per US$, period average | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,285 LCU per US$, period average | 1,144 LCU per US$, period average | 1,422 LCU per US$, period average | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 20 South Sudan 2,163 LCU per US$, period average compare
- 21 Nigeria 1,518 LCU per US$, period average compare
- 22 Rwanda 1,428 LCU per US$, period average compare
- 24 Myanmar 1,382 LCU per US$, period average compare
- 25 Yemen 1,355 LCU per US$, period average compare
- 26 Iraq 1,300 LCU per US$, period average compare
More financial sector data for South Korea
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate 6.29 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0016 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 58.67 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate 1.21 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0012 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 42.84 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate 6.29 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0016 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 58.67 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate 1.21 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is official exchange rate in South Korea?
- Official exchange rate in South Korea was 1,422 LCU per US$, period average in 2025, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest official exchange rate recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 1,422 LCU per US$, period average in 2025.
- What is the lowest official exchange rate recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 63.12 LCU per US$, period average in 1960.
- How does South Korea rank for official exchange rate?
- South Korea ranks 23rd out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
- Is official exchange rate rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Official exchange rate refers to the exchange rate determined by national authorities or to the rate determined in the legally sanctioned exchange market. This indicator represents the ratio of Local Currency Units relative to United States dollars.This indicator is derived as an average over the reference period.