Visitors browse stock-related books in the economy and stock investment section of a bookstore in Seoul, Jan. 11. Yonhap
South Koreans' overseas stock investments nearly tripled from a year earlier to an all-time high in 2025, expanding to a level comparable to the country's annual current account surplus, central bank data showed Wednesday.
Residents' combined overseas equity investments reached $114.35 billion last year, up from $42.16 billion in 2024, according to the data compiled by the Bank of Korea (BOK).
The figure is more than double the previous record of $68.53 billion set in 2021.
By investor type, asset managers, securities firms and insurers accounted for $42.1 billion of the total, followed by the National Pension Service (NPS) and other public institutions with $40.7 billion and individual investors with $31.4 billion.
"If retail investors' overseas exchange-traded fund (ETF) investments made through asset managers are taken into account, individuals' total direct and indirect overseas equity investment in 2025 is estimated to have exceeded that of the NPS and other public institutions," a BOK official said.
The sharp increase in overseas stock investment has been cited as a key factor behind the weakness of the local currency, as it boosted demand for U.S. dollars despite the improved dollar supply stemming from the current account surplus, he added.
South Korea posted its largest-ever annual current account surplus of $123.05 billion last year, supported by strong exports amid robust semiconductor demand.
The primary income account, which tracks the wages of foreign workers, dividend payments from overseas and interest income, also logged a record surplus of $27.92 billion in 2025.
In 2025, the country's dividend income surplus rose 11 percent on-year to a record $20.19 billion, while the interest income surplus declined 4.95 percent to $9.98 billion, bringing the investment income surplus to $30.17 billion last year.
Source: Korea Times News
