According to the Bank of Korea's preliminary statistics on fund circulation for the first quarter of 2026, the net fund management amount for households (including individual businesses) and non-profit organizations was recorded at 79.2 trillion won, an increase from 67 trillion won in the previous quarter.
Net fund management refers to the increase in surplus funds available for economic agents. For households, it is calculated by subtracting borrowed funds, such as loans, from the total amount managed, which includes deposits, insurance, pensions, funds, and stocks.
The increase in household net fund management compared to the previous quarter is attributed to rising household income from year-end bonuses and an increase in surplus funds due to a decrease in new apartment supply.
Fund management expanded primarily in equity securities and investment funds, with the total amount reaching 61.4 trillion won, up significantly from 34 trillion won in the previous quarter. Deposits in financial institutions also rose from 12.8 trillion won to 29.4 trillion won.
Household borrowing, mainly from financial institutions, slightly decreased to 17.1 trillion won from 17.3 trillion won in the fourth quarter of last year.
Non-residents' fund management shifted from net acquisition to net disposal, primarily due to selling domestic stocks. This is interpreted as profit-taking following stock price increases.
The net disposal of domestic stocks and investment fund shares by non-residents expanded significantly from -8.5 trillion won in the previous quarter to -62.1 trillion won.
Meanwhile, domestic residents' acquisition of foreign stocks decreased from 61.5 trillion won to 40.3 trillion won.
The ratio of financial assets to financial liabilities for households and non-profit organizations rose to 2.60, up from 2.54 at the end of the previous quarter. Net financial assets increased by 183.5 trillion won to 3,950.2 trillion won compared to the previous quarter.
Net fund management for non-financial corporations surged to 20.8 trillion won, a significant increase from 1 trillion won in the previous quarter, marking the highest level since statistics began in 2009.
The ratio of household debt to nominal GDP fell by 2.9 percentage points to 85.3% compared to the end of the previous quarter.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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