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

SEOUL, Oct. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's central bank posted nearly 17 trillion won (US$12.5 billion) in returns from foreign assets in 2025, helped by a weaker won and a rally in stock markets, data from the bank showed Sunday. The Bank of Korea (BOK) recorded 16.9 trillion won in returns on foreign assets last year, up 32 percent from a year earlier, according to data submitted to a lawmaker from the main opposition People Power Party (PPP). "The won's weakness against the dollar and a rally in stock markets drove up net income linked to foreign assets," the BOK said in its 2025 annual report, released in March. Returns on foreign assets rose from around 8 trillion won annually in 2016-18 to 13.8 trillion won in 2021, before plunging to 3.9 trillion won in 2022. Won-denominated returns from securities holdings, interest on bank deposits, dividends and stock sales rebounded to 4.9 trillion won in 2023, and jumped to 12.8 trillion won in 2024. This undated file photo provided by Hana Bank shows a bank employee stacking U. S. dollar bills at a branch in Seoul. (Yonhap) kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr(END)