Card firms' H1 net rises over 5 pct on rise in commission income

South Korean credit card companies saw their combined net profit rise by more than 5% in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year, according to data released by the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) on Thursday. The eight credit card firms together earned 1.29 trillion won (US$931 million), a 5.6% increase from January to June 2025.

While their revenue grew by 1.8% or 252 billion won to 14.59 trillion won over the period, costs rose by a smaller 1.4% or 184 billion won to 13.29 trillion won. The delinquency ratio stood at 1.54% as of the end of June, up by 0.02 percentage points from the previous six months.

Specialized credit finance companies, which include installment financing, leasing, and new technology venture businesses, reported a combined net profit of 2.24 trillion won during the first half of 2026, marking a substantial 25.4% increase from the same period in 2025. There were a total of 189 such firms, as reported by the FSS.