Korea's super-rich opt for safer investments in 2025: report

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By Yi Whan-woo

Korea's super-rich, who account for less than 1 percent of the country's population, are choosing low-risk investment options next year due to economic uncertainties, a report showed Sunday.

The report from KB Financial Group's think tank showed that 461,000 Koreans, estimated to represent just 0.9 percent of the population, held financial assets worth 1 billion won ($689,800) in 2023.

Their financial assets were valued at 2,826 trillion won in total. The amount went up 2.9 percent from a year earlier and made up a 58.6 percent share of all Korean households' financial assets last year.

Financial assets refer to cash, deposits and financial investment products such as stocks and bonds that can be cashed quickly and easily.

Due to their cash flow, they have an advantage over non-financial assets such as property, commodities, patents and trademarks that usually bring returns in the long term.

Of the 461,000, 63 percent said they would keep their investment in stocks to the same level in 2025, and the other 21.8 percent said they would reduce stock investment. Only the remaining 15.3 percent said they will increase the corresponding investment.

Concerning deposits, 73 percent of the 461,000 individuals said they will remain unchanged in the amount next year. Other 11 percent said they will save more cash as deposits, while the remaining 16 percent responded said they will cash out some deposits.

“The finding suggests rich individuals are cautious about going aggressive in investment,” the report said, referring to stagnant country's economic growth due to uncertainties here and abroad.

Meanwhile, 32.8 percent of the 461,000 respondents said they mostly accumulated wealth through business income. Other 26.3 percent said they created wealth through property investment.

A total of 60.8 percent of these respondents also inherited cash, real estate and other forms of wealth from their parents.

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