A curated collection of databases and research resources related to the Korean economy.
Government
Open Fiscal Data is an official government platform that provides open access to South Korea’s public finance and economic data. The website offers datasets on government budgets, expenditures, revenues, and other key fiscal indicators. It is designed to enhance transparency and support researchers, policymakers, and the general public in analyzing Korea’s fiscal policies and economic trends. Users can download data, visualize financial reports, and access API services for further analysis. If you’re looking for reliable and up-to-date fiscal data on South Korea, this is a great resource!
📌 Topic: public finance, consolidated fiscal Information, fiscal balance, national debt
📍 Provided by: Ministry of Economy and Finance
The English website of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MOEF) provides information on South Korea’s economic policies, fiscal management, taxation, and financial systems. It offers press releases, policy updates, statistics, and publications to help international audiences understand Korea’s economic direction.
📌 Topic: public finance, economy, policy, press releases, treasury bonds
📍 Provided by: Ministry of Economy and Finance
Local Finance Integrated Open System provides open information for process of local public finance in the areas of local public finance, local education finance, and local public finance/management. As a hub of public finance information sharing, Local Finance Integrated Open System pertains to sharing diverse open information of public finance between central and local governments for efficient and effective public administration.
📌 Topic: local public finance, local government, revenue autonomy, decentralization, grants
📍 Provided by: Ministry of the Interior and Safety
The Government Finance Statistics (GFS) database contains fiscal data for all reporting countries in the framework of the Government Finance Statistics Manual 2014 (GFSM 2014). It includes detailed data on revenues, expenditures, transactions in financial assets and liabilities, and balance sheet data and includes data for the general government sector and its subsectors (e.g., central government, local government, state government and social security funds). This site also includes preset presentations of GFS data by country and by indicators, as well as provides the option to download data with customized queries. GFS data are compiled by country authorities and reported to the IMF Statistics Department annually. In addition, sub annual (monthly or quarterly) fiscal data can be found in the International Finance Statistics datasets.
📌 Topic: government revenue and expenditure, fiscal Deficits/Surpluses, debt Data
📍 Provided by: International Monetary Fund
➡ https://data.imf.org/?sk=a0867067-d23c-4ebc-ad23-d3b015045405
Tax
The link directs to the National Tax Statistics Portal (TASIS), operated by the National Tax Service of Korea. TASIS offers comprehensive statistical data on national taxes, including income tax, corporate tax, value-added tax, and more. Users can access and analyze various tax-related statistics through this portal.
📌 Topic: tax system, tax collection, tax revenue
📍 Provided by: National Tax Service
➡ https://tasis.nts.go.kr/websquare/websquare.html?w2xPath=/cm/index.xml
The "Korean Taxation" booklet, published by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, provides an overview of Korea's tax system. It includes information on various taxes such as income tax, corporate tax, value-added tax, and customs duties. The booklet is available for download in English on the Ministry's website.
📌 Topic: tax system, tax collection, tax revenue
📍 Provided by: National Tax Service
Detailed, internationally comparable data on the level and structure of tax revenues for more than 130 economies are available from 1990 onwards. The dataset combines data from the annual publications Revenue Statistics, Revenue Statistics in Latin America and the Caribbean, Revenue Statistics in Africa and Revenue Statistics in Asia and the Pacific . It also includes data for countries that are not included in any regional publication. The classification approach is based on the well-established methodology of OECD Revenue Statistics, which is set out in the internationally recognised Interpretative Guide for tax revenues. The detailed country tables are also available in the OECD Data Explorer and provide information in national currency and by level of government.
📌 Topic: taxation, total tax revenue, tax-to-GDP ratio
📍 Provided by: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
➡ https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/revenue-statistics_2522770x.html
Trade & FDI
The Trade Data platform provides detailed statistics on South Korea's export and import activities, including trade balances, customs clearance data, and foreign exchange rates. Users can access monthly and annual trade statistics by product categories, countries, and more, helping businesses and analysts track international trade trends.
📌 Topic: Trade balance, export, import
📍 Provided by: Korea Customs Service
The K-stat platform provides detailed statistics on South Korea’s international trade, including data on exports and imports by product, country, and region. It also covers trade agreements, indirect exports, and trends in the global market. The platform helps businesses and analysts track South Korea's trade activities and analyze key economic indicators.
📌 Topic: product-specific exports/imports, trade by continents/economic Regions
📍 Provided by: Korea International Trade Association (KITA)
The Korea Eximbank platform provides data on overseas direct investment (ODI), offering insights into the volume, destinations, and sectors of South Korean investments abroad. It helps users analyze trends and patterns in global investments, which is valuable for businesses, policymakers, and researchers monitoring South Korea's international economic engagements.
📌 Topic: outward foreign direct investment, industry-specific investments, foreign market trends
📍 Provided by: Export-Import Bank of Korea
The Foreign Investment Statistics section of the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy provides detailed data on foreign direct investment (FDI) in South Korea, including inflows, sectoral breakdowns, and the companies that received foreign investments. It tracks trends over time and offers insights into industry-specific investments, helping users analyze patterns and economic impact
📌 Topic: FDI inflows, industry-specific foreign investment, foreign affiliates
📍 Provided by: Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE)
This table contains information on foreign direct investment (FDI) inward and outward flows and stock, expressed in millions of dollars. The table also presents the following indicators: the percentage share of each economy/group in the world, and percentage ratios of FDI to GDP.
📌 Topic: FDI inflows, FDI stocks, investment by industry, investment by country
📍 Provided by: Export-Import Bank of Korea
➡ https://unctadstat.unctad.org/datacentre/dataviewer/US.FdiFlowsStock
Households & Firms
The Microdata Integrated Service (MDIS), operated by Statistics Korea, provides comprehensive microdata for in-depth research and analysis across various sectors. It includes household data (information on income, consumption, and welfare), business data (details on firms, financial status, and economic activities), labor market Data (employment, wages, and job conditions), and more.
📌 Topic: household income, welfare benefits, income redistribution, economic policy, enterprise data, firm-level data
📍 Provided by: Statistics Korea
The Korea Institute of Public Finance (KIPF) conducts the Fiscal Panel Survey to analyze households' tax burdens and benefits received from the government, aiming to assess equity and income redistribution effects. The survey collects data on household economic activities, taxation policies, and welfare benefits. The website provides access to survey data, user guides, codebooks, questionnaires, and research reports, supporting research and policy analysis in taxation and public finance.
📌 Topic: household income, tax burden, income redistribution, economic policy, fiscal panel data
📍 Provided by: Korea Institute of Public Finance (KIPF)
KOCOInfo is a business information service system that provides comprehensive data on Korean companies, including management information, financial data, and stock information. It compiles business reports and other information submitted by companies listed on KOSPI, KOSDAQ, and KONEX, ensuring accuracy through external audits. Since 2005, KOCOInfo has offered this data in English and Japanese, supporting research papers, investment analysis, and company evaluations.
💲 Subscription Required.
📌 Topic: stock market data, KOSPI, KOSDAQ, KONEX, financial statements, corporate governance
📍 Provided by: Korea Listed Companies Association
The "Value Search" platform offers easy access to detailed corporate data, including financial statements, market data, and industry-specific metrics. Users can search for companies based on various criteria, such as financial status, sector, or size, and download the information in bulk. It also supports templates for financial analysis and screening. The platform is particularly useful for analysts and researchers in both private and public sectors. Additionally, external audits or "external management" companies can also be included within the database for comprehensive insights.
💲 Subscription Required.
📌 Topic: listed companies, external audits, financial statements, financial analysis, corporate governance
📍 Provided by: NICE Information Service Co., Ltd.
Orbis and Osiris are both databases offered by Bureau van Dijk, but they differ in their focus:
Orbis: Primarily focuses on financial and company data globally, including public and private companies, and covers information like financials, ownership, and M&A activity.
Osiris: Focuses on more detailed and historical financial information, mainly on listed companies, with a strong emphasis on accounting data and corporate governance.
💲 Subscription Required.
📌 Topic: financial information, company ownership, mergers & acquisitions, corporate governance
📍 Provided by: Bureau Van Dijk
Economy
The Bank of Korea's ECOS (Economic Statistics System) provides a comprehensive platform for accessing a variety of economic data, including monetary statistics, economic indicators, and other related information. Users can explore historical and current data, which is useful for economic research and analysis. It offers statistical tools for customizing queries and generating reports.
📌 Topic: outward foreign direct investment, industry-specific investments, foreign market trends
📍 Provided by: Export-Import Bank of Korea
Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS)
KOSIS (Korean Statistical Information Service) provides access to a wide range of official statistics covering various sectors like economy, population, health, labor, and more. It offers tools for data search, visualization, and analysis. Users can explore statistical tables, generate reports, and access specific indicators related to South Korea. The platform is a valuable resource for researchers and analysts.
📌 Topic: economy, population, health, labor, wages and salaries
📍 Provided by: Statistics Korea