Last year, the balance of overseas securities investments by residents in South Korea increased significantly, with a notable rise of approximately 207 trillion won due to new investments.
Last year, it was reported that the balance of overseas securities investments by residents of South Korea, defined as those whose main place of residence is in the country regardless of nationality, increased by 392 trillion won. According to the Bank of Korea's preliminary announcement of the '2025 International Investment Survey' on the 24th, the year-end balance of residents' securities investments reached 1.2661 trillion dollars, marking an increase of 271.9 billion dollars (around 392 trillion won) compared to the previous year. Excluding fluctuations in stock prices or exchange rates, the increase attributable to new investments was approximately 143.8 billion dollars (around 207 trillion won).
The data shows a significant growth trend in the annual increases, with previous years reporting 118.9 billion dollars in 2023 and 135.9 billion dollars in 2024, followed by a surge in the last year, doubling in comparison to the preceding year. The Bank of Korea also reported that the total external financial assets of South Korea, concentrated on residents' securities investments, increased by 362.6 billion dollars, totaling 2.8752 trillion dollars at the end of the year.
Interestingly, while the overseas securities investment by residents soared, the investments from non-residents in domestic securities rose even more, totaling 520 billion dollars (approximately 749 trillion won). This growth included an increase of 55.7 billion dollars (about 80 trillion won) attributed to new investments. The overall external financial liabilities also grew, leading to a reduction in net external financial assets, thereby affecting South Korea's financial landscape.
