Developmental Progress
The establishment of Lak Hui Chemical Industrial Corp. in 1947 is considered the revolution for the Korean chemical industry
The petrochemical industry started building up the foundation for the industry in the late 1960s through the technological adoption from advanced countries, and now it is ranked the 5th with an annual ethylene production capacity of 5.75 million tones
The specialty chemicals industry laid the groundwork for development through the technological adoption from advanced countries in 1970s and began the development of raw materials & intermediates such as medicine, agrichemicals after the adoption of the domestic Material License in 1987.
Status
Status of Korean Chemical Industry
| Industry (unit: billion won, 1000 ppl, %) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | |
| Production(A) | Production | 788,633 | 851,789 | 915,223 | 948,643 |
| Value Added | 301,863 | 312,792 | 326,844 | 346,629 | |
| Employees | 2,798.2 | 2,865.5 | 2,910.9 | 2,878.7 | |
| Chemical Industry(B) | Production | 77,230 | 79,520 | 82,152 | 90,316 |
| Value Added | 27,046 | 27,052 | 25,850 | 29,234 | |
| Employees | 136.3 | 131.6 | 134.8 | 137.1 | |
| Ratio (B / A) | Production | 24.8 | 25.3 | 25.2 | 29.2 |
| Value Added | 9.0 | 8.6 | 7.9 | 8.4 | |
| Employees | 4.9 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.8 | |
Note) Industrial statics for more than 5 employees
| Trade (unit: billion dollar, %) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
| Total Trade(C) | Import | 2,245 | 2,612 | 3,094 | 3,568 | 4,353 |
| Export | 2,538 | 2,844 | 3,255 | 3,715 | 4,220 | |
| Industry(D) | Import | 245 | 282 | 315 | 369 | 411 |
| Export | 252 | 299 | 340 | 400 | 459 | |
| Ratio (D / C) | Import | 10.9 | 10.8 | 10.2 | 10.3 | 9.4 |
| Export | 9.9 | 10.5 | 10.4 | 10.8 | 10.9 | |
Source) National Statistical Office, Korea International Trade Association
Production Trend
Production Trend in Korean Chemical Industry (unit: billion won)
| Category | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical Product | 77,230 | 79,520 | 82,152 | 90,316 | |
| Food | 47,981 | 48,399 | 48,970 | 40,894 | |
| Textile | 23,003 | 21,926 | 21,300 | 15,951 | |
| Petrochemical Product | 47,742 | 60,623 | 69,950 | 79,514 | |
| Synthetic Resins & Synthetic Rubber | 32,342 | 37,837 | 39,820 | 38,977 | |
| Metals | 77,023 | 84,463 | 89,891 | 102,888 | |
| Industrial Machinery | 66,102 | 72,460 | 78,576 | 67,899 | |
| Electronic/ Electrical Product | Computer & Office Machinery | 12,122 | 7,959 | 8,355 | 0 |
| Other Electrical Machinery & Electrical Converter | 29,134 | 30,242 | 33,563 | 40,435 | |
| Electronic Component, Image and Audio & Communication Equipment | 135,816 | 140,049 | 146,764 | 158,004 | |
| Transport Machinery | Automobile & Trailer | 88,064 | 97,782 | 107,712 | 117,676 |
| Other Transport Equipment | 29,152 | 33,745 | 41,385 | 52,941 | |
| Others | 129,142 | 136,783 | 144,325 | 143,148 | |
| Total | 794,853 | 851,788 | 912,763 | 948,643 | |
Note) 1. Industrial statistics for more than 5 employees 2. ‘Computer & Office Machinery’ for 2007 is included in ‘Electronic Component, Image and Audio & Communication Equipment’
Source) National Statistical Office
Trade Trend
Export Trend (unit: million dollar)
| Category | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Organic Chemistry | 8,749 | 10,539 | 12,730 | 15,166 | 15,786 | |
| Basic Inorganic Chemistry | 652 | 768 | 969 | 1,241 | 2,265 | |
| Dye/Paint | 451 | 491 | 564 | 617 | 619 | |
| Fertilizer | 220 | 196 | 237 | 330 | 779 | |
| Synthetic Resins & Synthetic Rubber | Synthetic Resins | 8,426 | 10,304 | 11,177 | 13,000 | 14,909 |
| Synthetic Rubber | 609 | 879 | 979 | 1,320 | 1,992 | |
| Medical Supplies/Herb Medicines | 451 | 483 | 573 | 785 | 986 | |
| Insecticide/Agrichemicals | 46 | 59 | 75 | 118 | 162 | |
| Paint/Ink | 353 | 403 | 447 | 460 | 540 | |
| Soap/Detergent/Cosmetics | 292 | 306 | 319 | 346 | 421 | |
| Recording Media & Related Chemical Products | 121 | 149 | 177 | 200 | 214 | |
| Chemical Fiber | Synthetic Textile | 886 | 889 | 852 | 1,010 | 974 |
| Regenerated Fiber | 30 | 34 | 32 | 27 | 33 | |
| Polyester Filament | 1,276 | 1,123 | 1,034 | 1,150 | 1,074 | |
| Polyester Staple Fiber | 110 | 112 | 124 | 128 | 113 | |
| Others | 2,532 | 3,157 | 3,742 | 4,100 | 5,016 | |
Source) Korea International Trade Association
Import Trend (unit: million dollar)
| Category | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Organic Chemistry | 7,212 | 8,477 | 8,809,760,043 | 9,868 | 11,032 | |
| Basic Inorganic Chemistry | 2,164 | 2,447 | 2,862,077,797 | 3,720 | 5,178 | |
| Dye/Paint | 827 | 920 | 989 | 1,022 | 1,046 | |
| Fertilizer | 302 | 418 | 316 | 420 | 742 | |
| Synthetic Resins & Synthetic Rubber | Synthetic Resins | 1,877 | 2,333 | 2,597 | 2,772 | 2,809 |
| Synthetic Rubber | 284 | 334 | 361 | 372 | 519 | |
| Medical Supplies/Herb Medicines | 1,737 | 2,018 | 2,512 | 3,035 | 3,332 | |
| Insecticide/Agrichemicals | 90 | 131 | 146 | 432 | 507 | |
| Paint/Ink | 399 | 422 | 527 | 621 | 675 | |
| Soap/Detergent/Cosmetics | 610 | 684 | 792 | 884 | 975 | |
| Recording Media & Related Chemical Products | 896 | 939 | 858 | 916 | 1,004 | |
| Chemical Fiber | Synthetic Textile | 46 | 55 | 48 | 51 | 51 |
| Regenerated Fiber | 119 | 122 | 125 | 147 | 173 | |
| Polyester Filament | 458 | 473 | 522 | 590 | 578 | |
| Polyester Staple Fiber | 378 | 397 | 409 | 462 | 434 | |
| Others | 7,107 | 8,076 | 9,595 | 11,542 | 12,055 | |
Source) Korea International Trade Association
