Bank of Korea's returns on foreign assets near 17 tln won in 2025

South Korea's central bank, the Bank of Korea (BOK), reported nearly 17 trillion won (US$12.5 billion) in returns from foreign assets in 2025, according to data released on Sunday. This figure marked a 32 percent increase from the previous year. The BOK attributed the surge to a weaker won against the dollar and a rally in global stock markets, both of which boosted the net income tied to foreign assets.

In its 2025 annual report, released in March, the BOK noted that returns on foreign assets surged from approximately 8 trillion won per year between 2016 and 2018 to 13.8 trillion won in 2021. However, the trend reversed, with returns dropping to 3.9 trillion won in 2022. The situation improved in 2023, with returns reaching 4.9 trillion won, and then leaping to 12.8 trillion won in 2024.