South Korea’s central bank, the Bank of Korea (BOK), reports returns on foreign assets of nearly 17 trillion won for 2025, according to data provided to a lawmaker and cited from the BOK’s annual reporting. The figure is about 16.9 trillion won (roughly $12.5 billion), rising sharply from the previous year.
The BOK links the increase to currency and market factors. It says the won’s weakness against the U.S. dollar and gains in stock markets lift net income associated with foreign asset holdings. The reported data also traces a shifting trend over recent years, with returns averaging around 8 trillion won annually in 2016–2018, increasing to 13.8 trillion won in 2021, dropping to 3.9 trillion won in 2022, then rebounding in 2023 and surging again in 2024. Won-denominated returns from sources such as securities holdings, deposits, dividends, and stock sales rose to 4.9 trillion won in 2023 and jumped to 12.8 trillion won in 2024. Across outlets, the main points are the total 2025 returns and the BOK’s explanation for the rise.
