Seoul:South Korea's central bank reported nearly 17 trillion won (approximately US$12.5 billion) in returns from foreign assets in 2025, buoyed by a weaker won and a strong performance in stock markets.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Bank of Korea (BOK) recorded 16.9 trillion won in returns on foreign assets last year, marking a 32 percent increase from the previous year. This information was provided in data submitted to a lawmaker from the main opposition People Power Party.
The BOK's 2025 annual report, released in March, highlighted that the depreciation of the won against the dollar and a rally in stock markets contributed significantly to the increase in net income related to foreign assets. Returns on these assets have shown considerable fluctuation over the years, rising from around 8 trillion won annually between 2016 and 2018 to 13.8 trillion won in 2021, before dropping to 3.9 trillion won in 2022.
Further, won-denominated returns from various financial activities, including securities holdings, bank deposit interest, dividends, and stock sales, rebounded to 4.9 trillion won in 2023 and surged to 12.8 trillion won in 2024.