USD/KRW

USD/KRW — US Dollar to South Korean Won

USD/KRW is also a corridor rate for the large Korean diaspora in the United States and for the deep trade relationship between the two countries, which makes it a reference point for remittances and cross-border commerce alongside its role in global markets.

USD/KRW measures how many South Korean won one US dollar buys. It is the most-watched currency pair in Korean markets and one of the more actively traded emerging-market pairs in Asia, reflecting Korea's position as a major exporter of semiconductors, electronics, and automobiles.

The won floats freely but is subject to smoothing operations from the Bank of Korea (BOK), which occasionally intervenes to dampen sharp swings without targeting a specific level. Because Korean exporters are so exposed to the global chip cycle and to demand from China, USD/KRW tends to move with shifts in semiconductor prices and regional trade flows.

The BOK–Federal Reserve policy rate gap is a persistent driver: when US rates rise faster than Korean rates, capital outflows tend to weaken the won. A geopolitical risk premium tied to the Korean peninsula can also add volatility during periods of heightened tension.

This page shows an indicative daily reference rate sourced from public reference rates (ECB/FRED), updated once per business day. It is not a live intraday quote, and not for settlement or regulated trading.

Frequently asked questions

What does USD/KRW measure?

USD/KRW states how many South Korean won you receive for one US dollar. A rate of 1,380 means one dollar buys 1,380 KRW.

Is this USD/KRW rate live or a daily reference?

KRW is served as a daily reference rate (source: ecb_daily), updated once per business day — which is why the badge on this page reads "Delayed" rather than "Live". Every API response also carries the source and market_session fields, so you always know how fresh a number is. exchangerate.dev never relabels a daily rate as live.

How do I get the USD/KRW rate via the API?

GET /v1/latest/USD?symbols=KRW returns the indicative rate, the source (ecb_daily), market_session, and timestamp. The reverse (KRW as base) is also supported. The free tier covers it, no credit card required. All rates are indicative, not for settlement.

Why does USD/KRW move with semiconductor prices?

South Korea is one of the world's largest exporters of memory chips and other semiconductors. When global chip demand or pricing shifts, it changes the flow of export dollars into Korea, which can move the won even without any change in Korean interest rates.

Does the Bank of Korea intervene in the won?

The BOK does not peg or target the won, but it has a history of smoothing operations during periods of excessive volatility. These interventions are occasional and reactive rather than a fixed policy, so USD/KRW still behaves as a floating rate day to day.

Why is the Korea–Fed rate gap important for USD/KRW?

When the US Federal Reserve holds rates meaningfully above the Bank of Korea's policy rate, dollar-denominated assets become relatively more attractive, which can pull capital out of Korean markets and put downward pressure on the won.

Is USD/KRW affected by tensions on the Korean peninsula?

Yes. Periods of heightened geopolitical risk tied to North Korea have historically added a risk premium to the won, causing short-term volatility that is not tied to trade or interest-rate fundamentals.