Park Han-sol reports on Korea's financial regulators, along with fintech and insurance. She previously wrote about the art world, from biennales and exhibitions to fairs and auctions, with a focus on Seoul and the figures shaping the scene. Before joining The Korea Times, she spent a year at ABC News' Seoul bureau, contributing to coverage of major Asia-Pacific events.
Mirae Asset Group crosses $1 tril. mark in client assets
Mirae Asset Group headquarters in central Seoul / Courtesy of Mirae Asset Group
By Park Han-sol
Mirae Asset Group's client assets have surpassed the $1 trillion mark, a milestone that reflects the firm's transformation from a domestic financial company into a global investment player, according to company officials Thursday.
As of the end of May, the group's domestic assets totaled 1,140 trillion won ($757.1 billion), while overseas balances reached 390 trillion won.
Mirae Asset Securities accounted for roughly 800 trillion won of the total, followed by Mirae Asset Global Investments with 680 trillion won. Mirae Asset Life Insurance and other affiliates managed a combined 50 trillion won.
The growth trajectory has accelerated markedly in recent years. Customer assets climbed from 666.5 trillion won in 2022 to 777.9 trillion won in 2023, 906 trillion won in 2024 and 1,158.7 trillion won in 2025. In the first five months of this year alone, the increase exceeded the gain recorded during all of last year.
The group's capital base has expanded in tandem. Its equity capital stood at 26.3 trillion won at the end of March, up 2,630-fold from the 10 billion won with which the company was founded in 1997.
Much of that growth has been driven by an early focus on investment products rather than traditional savings businesses. The company moved aggressively into areas such as exchange-traded funds (ETF), retirement products and global asset allocation strategies, all of which have benefited from a steady shift toward investing among Korean households.
That strategy has helped create a virtuous cycle: As customer money grows, so does the firm's ability to expand its product lineup and market presence.
Mirae Asset Global Investments now oversees 428 trillion won in ETF assets, ranking it as the world's 11th-largest ETF manager. Its U.S. subsidiary, Global X, and Korea's TIGER ETF franchise have each surpassed $100 billion in assets under management.
Mirae Asset Securities, meanwhile, recently became the first brokerage in Korea to post quarterly net profit of more than 1 trillion won. Retirement-related holdings have also topped 74 trillion won.
Overseas expansion has been another pillar of the firm's growth. It now operates in 21 markets worldwide and continues to broaden its international reach through initiatives such as the launch of a mobile trading platform in Hong Kong and efforts to acquire a U.S. brokerage.
The company has also built a track record of investing in high-growth industries, including stakes in global technology companies such as SpaceX.
Looking ahead, Mirae Asset plans to accelerate its "Mirae Asset 3.0" initiative, which aims to bring traditional and digital assets, domestic and overseas investments, and wealth-management services together on a single platform.