South Korea
net importerAnswer
South Korea imports about 2.8 million barrels of crude a day. The largest suppliers are Saudi Arabia (34%), USA (16%) and Iraq (11%).
Data: 2025 annual averages
Key figures
- Crude oil imports, barrels per day
- 2.8 million
- Largest supplier
- Saudi Arabia · 34%
- Real risk
- Strait of Malacca · 69%
Where does South Korea get its oil from?
| Supplier | share | thousand b/d |
|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 34% | 947 |
| USA | 16% | 448 |
| Iraq | 11% | 311 |
| UAE | 11% | 308 |
| Kuwait | 9% | 240 |
| Qatar | 4% | 110 |
| Brazil | 3% | 87 |
| other sources (not on the map) | 12% | 332 |
UN Comtrade, JODI-Oil · 2025
Which chokepoints does South Korea's oil pass through?
The main maritime chokepoints on the way are Strait of Malacca (69% of imports), Strait of Hormuz (58% of imports) and Cape of Good Hope (19% of imports).
- Strait of Malacca69% of imports · 1,916
- Strait of Hormuz58% of imports · 1,608
- Cape of Good Hope19% of imports · 535
Real risk: Strait of Malacca – 69% of imports this way. The world's busiest shipping lane, narrow and shallow – risk of collisions, piracy and blockade in a South China Sea conflict.
UN Comtrade · 2025
How much crude oil does South Korea import?
Imports 2.8 million barrels of crude a day – one supertanker a day. There is practically no domestic production; crude imports cover 97% of fuel consumption, the rest is refined products and biofuels.
JODI-Oil · 2025
South Korea: how did the 2026 oil crisis affect supplies and prices?
- February 28, 2026Iran closes the Strait of HormuzSouth Korea: 661 thousand barrels a day (24% of imports) with no way throughWikipedia: 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
- March 11, 2026IEA countries release 400 million barrels from emergency stocksSouth Korea: 661 thousand barrels a day (24% of imports) with no way throughIEA, 11 Mar 2026
- September 11, 2026Drones hit Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline – the main route around HormuzSouth Korea: 1.6 million barrels a day (58% of imports) with no way throughCNBC, 14 Sept 2026
- September 28, 2026The East-West pipeline runs again, at lower capacitySouth Korea: 661 thousand barrels a day (24% of imports) with no way throughwnp.pl, 28 Sept 2026
Effect on supplies: model of oil routes (2025 flows), stranded = no sea route left on that day.
Main port: Ulsan
Sources
- UN Comtrade – crude oil imports by country of origin (HS 2709), as reported by the importing country · 2025
- JODI-Oil – national crude oil production, imports and exports · 2025
- U.S. EIA – crude oil and petroleum products passing through maritime chokepoints · 2023
Related questions
Download the data
CSV and JSON, CC BY 4.0 – credit “chokepoints.io” with a link. Volumes in thousand barrels per day, 2025 annual averages.
Countries (CSV)Trade routes (CSV)Chokepoints (CSV)Everything (JSON)DOI 10.5281/zenodo.23267750 (Zenodo)