Statistical Analysis of Korean Welding Industry (VI)

This study provides a statistical analysis of the Korean welding industry, focusing on production output and trade (export/import) trends from 2019 to 2023. Using data from the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) and the Korea Statistical Information Service (KOSTAT), the welding industry is categorized into equipment/ consumables and application industries.</br>Both the welding equipment/consumables and welding-related industries in Korea remained relatively resilient during this period. Among welding-related industries, the automotive industry played a primary role in this resilience, driven by increased demand for precision welding in electric and hybrid vehicle manufacturing. Ongoing geopolitical instability-such as the Russia-Ukraine war and U.S. reshoring policies-continues to introduce uncertainty into global supply chains. Furthermore, the adoption of automated welding systems equipped with quality monitoring and AI-based engineering platforms is accelerating the industry's transition toward a data-driven, high-value- added manufacturing paradigm. These insights may guide future industrial strategies and policy decisions within the welding industry.