Cultural, knowledge-intensive business trade posts $6.44B deficit in H1

Despite a trade surplus in the K-pop and other cultural content sectors, Korea continued to suffer a deficit in cultural and knowledge-intensive business trade in the first half of 2026, central bank data showed Thursday.

The trade deficit in cultural, information and knowledge-intensive business services reached $6.44 billion in the January-to-June period, widening from $5.44 billion in the second half of 2025, according to preliminary data from the Bank of Korea (BOK).

The services cover intellectual property royalties; information and communication services; cultural and leisure services; and professional and business services.

In detail, information and communication services reported a surplus of $2.42 billion during the first half, and cultural and leisure services, including K-pop, dramas and other content, recorded a surplus of $720 million.

But the country saw a deficit of $4.9 billion in intellectual property royalties and a $4.67 billion deficit in the professional and business services sector.

By region, Korea logged a trade surplus of $2.62 billion in the Asian market, while it reported a $3.32 billion deficit in trade with North America and a $2.25 billion deficit in Europe, the latest findings showed.

Yonhap