Korea's manufacturing output stays heavily concentrated. Sixty percent comes from just twelve subsectors. The country maintains the world's highest industrial robot density at 1,005 units per 10,000 workers.
Key Takeaways
- 60% of Korea’s total manufacturing output is concentrated in just 12 major manufacturing subsectors, indicating high sector concentration in production.
- 13.2% of Korea’s merchandise exports were in machinery and mechanical appliances (as reported in UN Comtrade export category aggregations).
- 16.4% of Korea’s manufacturing value added was generated by fabricated metal products in 2022 (OECD STAN / ISIC-based industry value added breakdown).
- Korea accounted for 3.1% of global wind power installations in 2023 (IRENA renewable energy statistics; country share in new capacity).
- Korea’s hydrogen production reached 2.5 million tonnes in 2023 (IEA Global Hydrogen Review country statistics).
- Korea’s manufacturing energy intensity decreased by 2.4% in 2022 (IEA energy intensity indicators; industry energy efficiency trend).
- Korea ranked first globally for industrial robot density at 1,005 robots per 10,000 workers in 2022 (IFR World Robotics).
- Korea installed 38,000 industrial robots in 2022 (IFR industrial robots installations country breakdown).
- Korea’s cybersecurity spending reached KRW 6.3 trillion in 2023, including industrial control systems protection budgets (KISA/market research spending reports).
- Korea’s manufacturing workforce age 55+ share was 22.5% in 2022 (Statistics Korea—employment by age group).
- Korea had 1.3 million workers in SMEs in manufacturing in 2022 (KOSIS SME employment statistics).
- Korea’s manufacturing electricity prices for industrial users increased by 8.7% in 2023 (KPX/utility tariff and regulatory changes summarized by OECD/IEA energy pricing data).
- Korea’s manufacturing natural gas price for industry rose by 11.3% in 2023 (OECD energy prices by country and fuel type).
- 19.7% of South Korea’s value added in manufacturing exports came from the “Electronics” category in 2021, indicating electronics’ outsized role in export-linked manufacturing value creation
- 48.8% of South Korea’s merchandise exports in 2023 were categorized as “Manufactured goods,” reflecting continued export dependence on manufactured product categories
Korea’s manufacturing remains export driven and increasingly efficient, led by electronics and robotics amid rising output.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size7 stats
01
60% of Korea’s total manufacturing output is concentrated in just 12 major manufacturing subsectors, indicating high sector concentration in production.
02
13.2% of Korea’s merchandise exports were in machinery and mechanical appliances (as reported in UN Comtrade export category aggregations).
03
16.4% of Korea’s manufacturing value added was generated by fabricated metal products in 2022 (OECD STAN / ISIC-based industry value added breakdown).
04
Korea’s manufacturing sector generated KRW 244,000 billion in gross value added in 2022 (OECD national accounts by industry).
05
Korea’s manufacturing production index increased by 2.1% in 2023 (index-based trend reported by OECD/industrial production statistics).
06
Korea’s industrial production index for manufacturing rose by 4.8% year-on-year in the latest 2024 observations reported by OECD (industrial production statistics).
07
KRW 1,250.6 trillion manufacturing output (gross output) was recorded for South Korea in the most recent year available in OECD industry accounts (value in national currency).
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
Korea’s manufacturing market is large and expanding, with the sector generating KRW 244,000 billion in gross value added in 2022 and industrial production rising 4.8% year on year in 2024, while output is also heavily concentrated with 60% coming from just 12 major subsectors.
02 · Category
Industry Trends4 stats
01
Korea accounted for 3.1% of global wind power installations in 2023 (IRENA renewable energy statistics; country share in new capacity).
02
Korea’s hydrogen production reached 2.5 million tonnes in 2023 (IEA Global Hydrogen Review country statistics).
03
Korea’s manufacturing energy intensity decreased by 2.4% in 2022 (IEA energy intensity indicators; industry energy efficiency trend).
04
Korea’s manufacturing PMI averaged 50.8 in 2024 (S&P Global PMI series summary by country).
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
From an Industry Trends perspective, Korea’s manufacturing is showing gradual momentum as manufacturing energy intensity fell by 2.4% in 2022, while momentum in cleaner energy expands with Korea holding 3.1% of global wind power installations in 2023 and reaching 2.5 million tonnes of hydrogen production in 2023.
03 · Category
Technology & Automation3 stats
01
Korea ranked first globally for industrial robot density at 1,005 robots per 10,000 workers in 2022 (IFR World Robotics).
02
Korea installed 38,000 industrial robots in 2022 (IFR industrial robots installations country breakdown).
03
Korea’s cybersecurity spending reached KRW 6.3 trillion in 2023, including industrial control systems protection budgets (KISA/market research spending reports).
Interpretation
Technology & Automation Interpretation
Korea’s technology and automation edge is clear as it led the world with 1,005 industrial robots per 10,000 workers and installed 38,000 robots in 2022, while its 2023 cybersecurity spending of KRW 6.3 trillion shows it is pairing rapid automation with serious protection for industrial control systems.
04 · Category
Workforce2 stats
01
Korea’s manufacturing workforce age 55+ share was 22.5% in 2022 (Statistics Korea—employment by age group).
02
Korea had 1.3 million workers in SMEs in manufacturing in 2022 (KOSIS SME employment statistics).
Interpretation
Workforce Interpretation
In Korea’s manufacturing workforce, people aged 55 and older made up 22.5% in 2022, and with 1.3 million workers employed in SMEs, the sector’s workforce is both aging and heavily concentrated in smaller firms.
05 · Category
Cost Analysis2 stats
01
Korea’s manufacturing electricity prices for industrial users increased by 8.7% in 2023 (KPX/utility tariff and regulatory changes summarized by OECD/IEA energy pricing data).
02
Korea’s manufacturing natural gas price for industry rose by 11.3% in 2023 (OECD energy prices by country and fuel type).
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
In 2023, Korea’s manufacturing faced mounting cost pressure as industrial electricity prices jumped 8.7% and industrial natural gas prices climbed 11.3%, signaling higher energy input costs across key cost drivers.
More related reading
06 · Category
Trade & Exports3 stats
01
19.7% of South Korea’s value added in manufacturing exports came from the “Electronics” category in 2021, indicating electronics’ outsized role in export-linked manufacturing value creation
02
48.8% of South Korea’s merchandise exports in 2023 were categorized as “Manufactured goods,” reflecting continued export dependence on manufactured product categories
03
2.6% of South Korea’s total GDP came from manufacturing in 2022 (gross value added basis), quantifying the macroeconomic weight of the sector
Interpretation
Trade & Exports Interpretation
For Trade & Exports, South Korea’s export profile is heavily manufacturing driven, with manufactured goods making up 48.8% of merchandise exports in 2023 and electronics alone accounting for 19.7% of manufacturing value added in exports in 2021.
07 · Category
Investment & Finance2 stats
01
US$ 58.7 billion of South Korea’s inward FDI stock was in “Manufacturing” industries in 2023, demonstrating manufacturing’s importance in foreign capital allocation
02
South Korea received US$ 16.4 billion in FDI inflows in 2023, a level that affects manufacturing capacity expansion and technology upgrades
Interpretation
Investment & Finance Interpretation
In 2023, South Korea’s manufacturing drew US$58.7 billion in inward FDI stock and received US$16.4 billion in new FDI inflows, underscoring that investment and finance flows are a key engine for expanding manufacturing capacity and funding technology upgrades.
08 · Category
Automation & Productivity1 stats
01
South Korean manufacturing labor productivity grew 3.1% in 2023 (real output per worker basis), indicating productivity improvement even amid cyclical fluctuations
Interpretation
Automation & Productivity Interpretation
In 2023, South Korea’s manufacturing labor productivity rose 3.1% year on year on a real output per worker basis, underscoring that automation and productivity gains are translating into measurable efficiency improvements.
09 · Category
Operational Efficiency2 stats
01
The average time to import to South Korea was 13 days in 2023 (Trading Across Borders), impacting inbound material and components schedules for manufacturers
02
South Korea’s manufacturing sector’s energy consumption intensity (energy per unit output) improved by 1.8% in 2022 (real improvements reported in energy intensity trend tables), evidencing ongoing efficiency gains
Interpretation
Operational Efficiency Interpretation
In 2023 South Korea averaged just 13 days to import, helping tighten inbound supply schedules, and in 2022 the manufacturing sector also improved energy consumption intensity by 1.8%, signaling operational efficiency gains on both logistics and resource use.
10 · Category
Sustainability & Resilience3 stats
01
In 2022, South Korea’s industrial sector (including manufacturing) accounted for 38% of national GHG emissions, highlighting manufacturing’s sectoral climate footprint
02
South Korea generated 23.4% of its electricity from renewable sources in 2023, supporting cleaner electricity for manufacturing operations
03
South Korea’s recycling rate for packaging waste reached 76.5% in 2022 (government/industry reporting), reflecting material circularity progress relevant to manufacturing supply chains
Interpretation
Sustainability & Resilience Interpretation
In 2022, South Korea’s manufacturing-related industrial sector drove 38% of national GHG emissions, yet rising renewables supplied 23.4% of electricity in 2023 and packaging recycling reached 76.5% in 2022, showing sustainability and resilience gains are building while emissions remain a key challenge.
report visual · Key figures
Korea Manufacturing: Recent Production and Output Movement
Manufacturing activity is showing positive momentum, with both recent production-index growth and broader industrial production gains.
2.1%
Korea’s manufacturing production index increased by 2.1% in 2023 (index-based trend reported by OECD/industrial producti
4.8%
Korea’s industrial production index for manufacturing rose by 4.8% year-on-year in the latest 2024 observations reported
1,250.6
KRW 1,250.6 trillion manufacturing output (gross output) was recorded for South Korea in the most recent year available
source-verifiedstats.oecd.org2024
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Emilia Santos. (2026, February 13). Korea Manufacturing Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/korea-manufacturing-industry-statistics
MLA
Emilia Santos. "Korea Manufacturing Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/korea-manufacturing-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Emilia Santos. 2026. "Korea Manufacturing Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/korea-manufacturing-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
29 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+13 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)