National Pension Service sees losses mount as Korean stocks plunge

The National Pension Service (NPS) in South Korea is drawing increasing attention due to its declining investment performance, exacerbated by a sharp decline in the local stock market. The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has called for a parliamentary inquiry into whether political factors influenced the fund's decision-making. NPS Chairman Kim Sung-joo has firmly stated that political motives were not a factor, asserting that decisions are made through a democratic consensus process.

According to data provided by the NPS to lawmakers, the fund's total asset value stood at 1,684.2 trillion won ($1.26 trillion) at the end of July, marking a significant decline of 181.4 trillion won from the previous month. This reduction was predominantly attributed to a fall in cumulative gains from Korean stocks, amounting to approximately 125 trillion won. To put this into perspective, this decline translates to around 8.3 million won per pension subscriber.

The decline in the Korean stock market, specifically the KOSPI index, played a pivotal role in this downturn. The KOSPI reached a peak of 9,000 in June before plummeting to approximately 6,600 by the end of July. Following this trend, the NPS continues to face scrutiny over its investment strategy amid the ongoing volatility in the Korean market.