Individual investors' overseas stock holdings more than double in 2 yrs

The headquarters of major brokerages are seen in the financial district of Yeouido, Seoul, Dec. 24, 2025. Yonhap

Koreans' investment in offshore stocks and other securities has more than doubled over the past two years, central bank data showed Thursday.

Individual investors' holdings of foreign securities totaled $210 billion as of end-December, up from $140 billion a year earlier, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK).

The figure has steadily increased, from around $30 billion at the end of the first quarter of 2020 to $90 billion by end-2023 and further to $140 billion at the end of 2024.

Over the same period, total overseas securities holdings by Korean residents, including the government and financial institutions, grew markedly from $530.5 billion in early 2020 to $1.27 trillion at the end of 2025.

"The actual volume of individuals' overseas securities investment would likely be larger, given that investments in domestically listed foreign funds by individuals are classified as institutional holdings," a BOK official said.

As of February, U.S. stocks accounted for over 90 percent of individuals' net purchases of overseas securities on average per month since June 2024.

"Though individuals' overseas investment has increased, the risk to financial stability is limited. But many ETFs lack currency hedging and more hedged products could help reduce exchange rate risks," the official added.