South Korea’s manufacturing industry connects wages, productivity, and labor-market conditions—from manufacturing employment totaling 4.12 million people in 2022 to an unemployment rate of 2.8% in 2023. This page also tracks how output and competitiveness move, including industrial production at 112.5 in Dec 2023 (2020=100). It links those results to trade flows and innovation, with highlights such as manufacturing exports of 408.7 billion USD in 2022 and semiconductor R&D spending of 32.1 trillion KRW in 2022.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, manufacturing employment totaled 4.12 million persons, representing 16.8% of total employment
- Average monthly wages in manufacturing reached 4.52 million KRW in 2022, up 4.3% from 2021
- Manufacturing labor productivity per worker was 512 million KRW in 2022
- Manufacturing exports totaled 408.7 billion USD in 2022, 88.5% of total exports
- Semiconductor exports from South Korea reached 128.7 billion USD in 2022, up 29.6%
- Automobile exports 59.2 billion USD in 2022, ranking 4th globally
- Manufacturing FDI inflows 25.6 billion USD in 2022
- Domestic investment in manufacturing facilities 120.4 trillion KRW in 2022
- R&D expenditure in manufacturing 92.7 trillion KRW in 2022, 82% of national total
- In 2022, South Korea's manufacturing industry produced 3.42 million tons of semiconductors, accounting for 19.2% of global production
- The index of industrial production for manufacturing in South Korea reached 112.5 in December 2023 (2020=100), up 4.1% year-over-year
- South Korea's automobile manufacturing output was 4.22 million units in 2022, including 3.44 million passenger cars
- Patent applications from manufacturing 210,000 in 2022
- R&D personnel in manufacturing 420,000 full-time equivalents in 2022
- Semiconductor R&D spending 32.1 trillion KRW in 2022
In 2022 South Korea’s manufacturing powered trade, wages, and high tech investment, including semiconductors.
Related reading
01 · Category
Employment Statistics26 stats
01
In 2022, manufacturing employment totaled 4.12 million persons, representing 16.8% of total employment
02
Average monthly wages in manufacturing reached 4.52 million KRW in 2022, up 4.3% from 2021
03
Manufacturing labor productivity per worker was 512 million KRW in 2022
04
Unemployment rate in manufacturing sector was 2.8% in 2023
05
Female employment in manufacturing was 1.45 million in 2022, 35% of total manufacturing workforce
06
Youth employment (15-29) in manufacturing 450,000 persons in 2022
07
Manufacturing establishments numbered 142,500 in 2022
08
Average working hours in manufacturing 198.4 hours per month in 2022
09
Labor force participation rate in manufacturing 45.2% for ages 25-54 in 2022
10
Manufacturing jobs added 25,000 net in 2022
11
Wage growth in semiconductors manufacturing 6.1% in 2022 to 5.8 million KRW monthly
12
Automotive manufacturing employment 780,000 in 2022
13
Shipbuilding workforce 180,000 persons in 2022
14
Electronics manufacturing employees 1.2 million in 2022
15
Chemical industry employment 320,000 in 2022
16
Steel sector jobs 210,000 in 2022
17
Machinery manufacturing labor 450,000 persons in 2022
18
Labor turnover rate in manufacturing 18.5% in 2022
19
Manufacturing R&D personnel 420,000 in 2022, 45% of national total
20
Average age of manufacturing workers 42.3 years in 2022
21
Part-time workers in manufacturing 8.2% of workforce in 2022
22
Union membership rate 12.1% in manufacturing 2022
23
Manufacturing employment by firm size: SMEs 3.1 million (75%) in 2022
24
Overseas manufacturing employment by Korean firms 1.8 million in 2022
25
Manufacturing manufacturing employment growth 1.2% in 2023
26
Temporary workers 28% of manufacturing employment in 2022
Interpretation
Employment Statistics Interpretation
In South Korea’s employment statistics for manufacturing, the sector employed 4.12 million people in 2022, with wages rising to 4.52 million KRW and youth employment at 450,000, while unemployment stayed low at 2.8% in 2023 and female workers made up 35% of the workforce.
02 · Category
Export And Import Data28 stats
01
Manufacturing exports totaled 408.7 billion USD in 2022, 88.5% of total exports
02
Semiconductor exports from South Korea reached 128.7 billion USD in 2022, up 29.6%
03
Automobile exports 59.2 billion USD in 2022, ranking 4th globally
04
Petroleum products exports 92.4 billion USD in 2022
05
Ship exports value 48.1 billion USD in 2022
06
Display panels exports 45.6 billion USD in 2022
07
Steel exports 52.3 billion USD in 2022
08
Machinery exports 78.9 billion USD in 2022
09
Chemical products exports 81.2 billion USD in 2022
10
Wireless communication devices exports 22.4 billion USD in 2022
11
Exports to China from manufacturing 132.5 billion USD in 2022
12
Exports to USA 112.3 billion USD in 2022
13
EU manufacturing exports destination 68.7 billion USD in 2022
14
Manufacturing imports 312.4 billion USD in 2022
15
Semiconductor imports 45.2 billion USD in 2022
16
Crude oil imports for manufacturing 120.1 billion USD in 2022
17
Trade surplus in manufacturing 96.3 billion USD in 2022
18
Export share of semiconductors in total exports 31.5% in 2022
19
Auto parts exports 28.7 billion USD in 2022
20
Battery exports (EV) 12.4 billion USD in 2022, up 83%
21
Manufacturing export growth to Vietnam 15.2% in 2022
22
Import dependency on energy for manufacturing 95.2% in 2022
23
Top export product: Integrated circuits 85.6 billion USD in 2022
24
Refined petroleum exports 78.3 billion USD in 2022
25
Plastic exports 18.9 billion USD in 2022
26
Export unit value index for manufacturing 115.4 in 2022 (2015=100)
27
Manufacturing export volume index 132.7 in 2022 (2015=100)
28
Imports of machinery 45.8 billion USD in 2022
03 · Category
Investment And Capital24 stats
01
Manufacturing FDI inflows 25.6 billion USD in 2022
02
Domestic investment in manufacturing facilities 120.4 trillion KRW in 2022
03
R&D expenditure in manufacturing 92.7 trillion KRW in 2022, 82% of national total
04
Semiconductor fab investment 45.2 trillion KRW in 2022 by Samsung and SK Hynix
05
Battery manufacturing investment 28.1 trillion KRW in 2022
06
Automotive sector capital investment 15.6 trillion KRW in 2022
07
Shipbuilding investment 8.9 trillion KRW in 2022
08
Display industry capex 12.3 trillion KRW in 2022
09
Steel mill investment 10.2 trillion KRW in 2022
10
Chemical plant investments 18.4 trillion KRW in 2022
11
Machinery equipment investment 22.7 trillion KRW in 2022
12
SME manufacturing loans outstanding 450 trillion KRW in 2022
13
Overseas investment by manufacturing firms 35.8 billion USD in 2022
14
Government subsidies for manufacturing R&D 15.2 trillion KRW in 2022
15
Private equity investment in manufacturing startups 2.1 billion USD in 2022
16
Capital stock in manufacturing 1,250 trillion KRW in 2022
17
Investment rate in manufacturing 18.5% of value added in 2022
18
Green manufacturing investment 9.8 trillion KRW in 2022
19
Digital transformation capex 14.5 trillion KRW in 2022
20
M&A deals in manufacturing 45.2 billion USD in 2022
21
Factory construction permits value 28.7 trillion KRW in 2022
22
Return on capital employed in manufacturing 12.4% in 2022
23
Debt-to-equity ratio in manufacturing firms averaged 85.2% in 2022
24
Manufacturing R&D intensity 4.9% of sales in 2022
More related reading
04 · Category
Production Volume And Growth28 stats
01
In 2022, South Korea's manufacturing industry produced 3.42 million tons of semiconductors, accounting for 19.2% of global production
02
The index of industrial production for manufacturing in South Korea reached 112.5 in December 2023 (2020=100), up 4.1% year-over-year
03
South Korea's automobile manufacturing output was 4.22 million units in 2022, including 3.44 million passenger cars
04
Shipbuilding production in South Korea totaled 1.85 million CGT in 2022, representing 32% of the world total
05
Steel production in South Korea hit 71.1 million metric tons in 2022, ranking 6th globally
06
Chemical manufacturing output value reached 285.4 trillion KRW in 2022, growing 8.2% from 2021
07
Display panel production (LCD+OLED) in South Korea was 68.2 million square meters in 2022
08
Petroleum refining capacity in South Korea stood at 3.12 million barrels per day in 2023
09
Machinery production index for manufacturing was 108.7 in 2023 (2020=100)
10
Food manufacturing output grew 3.5% to 112.3 trillion KRW in 2022
11
Textile manufacturing production volume was 1.2 million tons in 2022
12
Pharmaceutical production value reached 28.5 trillion KRW in 2022, up 7.8%
13
Rubber and plastics production output was 45.6 million tons in 2022
14
Non-metallic mineral products output value 92.1 trillion KRW in 2022
15
Primary metal manufacturing production index 105.4 in 2023
16
Fabricated metal products output grew 5.2% to 156.7 trillion KRW in 2022
17
Electronic components production value 210.4 trillion KRW in 2022
18
Electrical equipment manufacturing output index 110.2 in 2023
19
Transport equipment production excluding autos was 12.5 trillion KRW in 2022
20
Furniture manufacturing output value 8.9 trillion KRW in 2022
21
Other manufacturing production totaled 45.2 trillion KRW in 2022
22
Manufacturing PMI averaged 51.2 in 2023, indicating expansion
23
Capacity utilization rate in manufacturing was 75.8% in Q4 2023
24
Inventory-to-shipment ratio for manufacturing was 0.82 in 2023
25
Manufacturing value added grew 2.1% in 2022 at constant prices
26
Overall manufacturing production index 109.3 in 2023 (2020=100)
27
Coke and petroleum products output 112.7 trillion KRW in 2022
28
Manufacturing production value at current prices was 1,892 trillion KRW in 2022
Interpretation
Production Volume And Growth Interpretation
In the production volume and growth category, South Korea shows broad momentum in 2022 and into late 2023, from 71.1 million metric tons of steel and 4.22 million automobiles to chemicals rising 8.2% to 285.4 trillion KRW and manufacturing industrial output climbing to 112.5 in December 2023, underscoring steady expansion across major sectors rather than growth confined to a single industry.
05 · Category
Technological Innovation And R&d24 stats
01
Patent applications from manufacturing 210,000 in 2022
02
R&D personnel in manufacturing 420,000 full-time equivalents in 2022
03
Semiconductor R&D spending 32.1 trillion KRW in 2022
04
AI patents granted to Korean manufacturing firms 1,250 in 2022
05
5G-related manufacturing patents 890 in 2022
06
EV battery technology patents 2,450 filed in 2022
07
Robotics R&D investment 4.2 trillion KRW in 2022
08
Manufacturing digitalization index 78.5 in 2022 (out of 100)
09
ICT R&D in manufacturing 25.6 trillion KRW in 2022
10
Biotech manufacturing patents 1,120 in 2022
11
Hydrogen tech R&D projects 156 funded in 2022
12
Smart factory adoption rate 42% in manufacturing in 2022
13
3D printing patents 340 in manufacturing 2022
14
Quantum computing R&D spend 1.2 trillion KRW in 2022
15
Manufacturing tech venture funding 3.8 billion USD in 2022
16
ISO 9001 certifications in manufacturing 12,500 in 2022
17
R&D tax credits claimed 8.5 trillion KRW in 2022
18
Collaborative R&D projects between firms and unis 2,450 in 2022
19
Manufacturing tech exports (royalties) 4.1 billion USD in 2022
20
Automation robot installations 28,000 units in 2022
21
Big data analytics adoption 65% in large manufacturers 2022
22
Nanotechnology patents 890 in manufacturing 2022
23
Green tech R&D 12.3 trillion KRW in 2022
24
Tech commercialization rate 45.2% for manufacturing R&D in 2022
Interpretation
Technological Innovation And R&d Interpretation
In 2022, South Korea’s manufacturing sector showed unusually strong technological innovation with 210,000 patent applications alongside heavy R&D investment, including 32.1 trillion KRW for semiconductor research and a surge in advanced areas such as 2,450 EV battery technology patent filings and 1,250 AI patents granted.
report visual · Comparison
Korea Manufacturing Snapshot: Employment Share vs Workforce Conditions
Manufacturing accounts for a sizable portion of total employment, while workforce structure shows notable shares in female employment and temporary work.
Female employment in manufacturing was 1.45 million in 2022, 35% of total manufacturing workforce35%
Temporary workers 28% of manufacturing employment in 2022
28%
In 2022, manufacturing employment totaled 4.12 million persons, representing 16.8% of total employment
16.8%
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
Priya Chandrasekaran. (2026, February 13). South Korea Manufacturing Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/south-korea-manufacturing-industry-statistics
MLA
Priya Chandrasekaran. "South Korea Manufacturing Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/south-korea-manufacturing-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Priya Chandrasekaran. 2026. "South Korea Manufacturing Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/south-korea-manufacturing-industry-statistics.
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