SEOUL, January 23 (AJP) - South Korean banks recorded a sharp rise in foreign exchange trading last year, with average daily volumes hitting a record high as overseas securities investment by residents surged and foreign investors stepped up purchases of South Korean assets.
According to a Bank of Korea report released on Friday, average daily foreign exchange trading at domestic banks — including spot and derivatives transactions — totaled $80.71 billion in 2025, up 17 percent from $68.96 billion a year earlier. It marked the highest level since the data series was revised in 2008.
The said the increase reflected the continued impact of extended foreign exchange trading hours, as well as a sharp rise in transactions linked to cross-border securities investment by both South Koreans and foreign investors.
On a balance-of-payments basis, South Korean residents' overseas securities investment rose 79.2 percent year on year, from $72.2 billion in 2024 to $129.4 billion in the January–November period of last year. Over the same period, foreign investors’ purchases of South Korean securities jumped 129.1 percent, from $22 billion to $50.4 billion.
By institution, foreign exchange trading by domestic banks increased 21.2 percent to an average of $37.54 billion per day, while trading by branches of foreign banks rose 13.6 percent to $43.17 billion.
* This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP.
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