Foreign reserves rise for fourth consecutive month

By Jang Sun-a Posted : October 10, 2025, 08:55 Updated : October 10, 2025, 15:36
Officials at the Bank of Korea supply currency for Chuseok on Sept. 30, 2025.
Bundles of new banknotes are stacked at the Bank of Korea on Sept. 30, 2025.
SEOUL, October 10 (AJP) - South Korea's foreign reserves rose by about $6 billion in September, extending their growth streak for the fourth consecutive month since June.

According to data released by the Bank of Korea on Thursday, the reserves stood at $422.02 billion at the end of September, up $5.73 billion from the previous month.

A Bank of Korea official attributed the increase to higher investment returns and a rise in foreign currency deposits at financial institutions.

Breaking down the reserves, securities such as government and corporate bonds increased by $12.25 billion to $378.42 billion. Deposits fell by $6.47 billion to $18.54 billion. Special drawing rights (SDRs), an international reserve asset held with the International Monetary Fund, remained unchanged at $15.78 billion, while gold holdings also stayed steady at $4.79 billion.

As of the end of August, South Korea ranked 10th in the world in terms of foreign reserves, with China leading at $3.32 trillion, followed by Japan, Switzerland, India, Russia, Taiwan, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and Hong Kong.

* This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP.
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