South Korea — Oil Import Dependency
Detailed breakdown of South Korea's crude oil import profile: share originating from the Middle East, top supplier countries, exposure to Strait of Hormuz transit risk and total net import volume. Sourced from the U.S. EIA, IEA and JODI Oil World Database.
Key statistics
- Region: Asia-Pacific
- Middle East crude oil share: 76%
- Net crude oil imports: 2,780 thousand barrels/day
- Top supplier: Saudi Arabia (36% of imports)
- Strait of Hormuz exposure: 74% of imports transit Hormuz
- Risk tier: Critical
What this means for South Korea
A sustained Strait of Hormuz disruption would directly affect roughly 74% of South Korea's crude inflows. With 76% of imports sourced from Middle East producers and Saudi Arabia alone supplying 36%, alternative supply requires re-routing through the Cape of Good Hope, the SUMED pipeline or increased reliance on US, Brazilian and West African crudes.
See the full route cost projections and the Hormuz reopening probability model to understand the timeline and cost of alternative supply.
Compare with regional peers (Asia-Pacific)
| Country | ME share | Net imports | Hormuz exposure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 92% | 2,550 kbd | 90% |
| Pakistan | 81% | 150 kbd | 80% |
| Bangladesh | 78% | 110 kbd | 76% |
| Sri Lanka | 72% | 60 kbd | 70% |
| Taiwan | 71% | 800 kbd | 70% |
| Singapore | 68% | 870 kbd | 67% |
| Philippines | 62% | 220 kbd | 60% |
| Thailand | 56% | 980 kbd | 55% |