Archive · 11 Oct 2026
Bank of Korea Foreign Asset Returns Rose 32 Percent in 2025
South Korea's central bank earned 16.9 trillion won from its foreign assets in 2025.
That was 32 percent more than it earned the year before.
The bank said a weaker won and rising stock markets helped increase the returns.
The article says the returns had fallen sharply in 2022 before recovering in later years.
It also describes a more recent trading session when South Korean shares fell.
Higher oil prices and worries about inflation made investors cautious.
The central bank's report explains the yearly returns, while the market update describes a separate trading session.
The Bank of Korea recorded 16.9 trillion won in foreign-asset returns in 2025, nearly US$12.5 billion.
Returns rose 32 percent from a year earlier, according to data submitted to a lawmaker from the People Power Party.
The Bank of Korea said a weaker won against the dollar and a stock-market rally helped lift income.
Returns had fallen to 3.9 trillion won in 2022, then climbed to 12.8 trillion won in 2024.
In a separate market update, the KOSPI fell 2.62 percent amid oil-price and inflation concerns.
- Who
- The Bank of Korea reported its foreign-asset returns.
- What
- It recorded 16.9 trillion won in returns in 2025, a 32 percent increase from the previous year.
- When
- The returns were recorded in 2025; the data was reported on Sunday, with no specific date given.
- Where
- South Korea.
- Why
- The Bank of Korea attributed the increase to the won's weakness against the U.S. dollar and a stock-market rally.
Factors Behind Returns
Market Risks
What drove the Bank of Korea's returns
Factors Behind Returns
The Bank of Korea said a weaker won against the U.S. dollar and a stock-market rally boosted income linked to foreign assets.
Market Risks
The article reports the gains but does not provide a competing explanation for the returns.
Recent market outlook
Factors Behind Returns
Individuals bought a net 2.9 billion won worth of shares during the latest session described.
Market Risks
Institutions and foreign investors sold shares, while elevated oil prices and possible U.S. rate increases raised investor concerns about inflation.
- 2025 foreign-asset returns
- 16.9 trillion won, or nearly US$12.5 billion
- Annual increase
- 32 percent from a year earlier
- Returns in 2024
- 12.8 trillion won
- Returns in 2022
- 3.9 trillion won
- Latest KOSPI close cited
- 6,625.93, down 177.97 points or 2.62 percent
- Institutional net stock sales
- 1.67 trillion won
- Foreign investor net stock sales
- 1.99 trillion won