Press Releases - Financial Services Commission

Press Releases

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Feb 05, 2026

FSC Introduces Measures to Strengthen Income Benefit and Enhance Convenience for Reverse Mortgage Subscribers

The Financial Services Commission announced measures to strengthen income benefits and enhance convenience for reverse mortgage subscribers on February 5. Background The reverse mortgage program in Korea allows subscribers to take out reverse mortgage loans (monthly payments) using their houses as collateral in their lifetime, guaranteeing senior citizens a certain level of monthly income while continuing to live in their homes in retirement. Since the reverse mortgage program was first introduced in Korea back in 2007, there have been continuous efforts to expand the eligibility requirement regarding the age of subscribers and the price of houses.As a result, some 150,000 households were found to have subscribed to reverse mortgages in cumulative terms as of the end of 2025 (2% subscription rate). However, given the tendency of heavily concentrated wealth in real estate among senior citizensand rapidly aging populationin Korea, it remains necessary to further promote the use of the reverse mortgage program. In this regard, the following measures have been prepared to make reverse mortgage loans as a more mainstream source of retirement income generation for the elderly. Key Measures a) Increasing reverse mortgage payments Through a redesigning of the actuarial model used in the reverse mortgage program, subscribers will be able to receive increased payments. For an average subscriber (aged 72 with home value of KRW400 million), his or her monthly payments will increase by about 3.13 percent from KRW1,297,000 previously to KRW1,338,000. Over an entire subscription period (17.4 years for 72 y/o), the total amount of payments is forecast to be increased by about KRW8,490,000. This change will take effect for new subscribers from after March 1, 2026. In addition, there will be expanded support for low-priced homeowners residing in houses valued below a certain level. Currently, there is extra payment benefit provided to the subscribers who meet certain conditions (reci
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Jan 30, 2026

Capital Market Rules Change Proposed to Upgrade Regulations on Domestic Exchange-traded Fund Market

The Financial Services Commission proposed capital market rules change to upgrade regulations on the domestic exchange-traded fund (ETF) market and help close the regulatory gap existing between domestically listed ETFs and overseas listed ETFs. The revision proposal for the Enforcement Decree of the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act (FSCMA) and the regulation on financial investment businesses will enter a 40-day comment period from January 30 to March 11, 2026. Due to the presence of regulatory gap existing between domestically listed ETFs and overseas listed ETFs (with overseas ETFs being subject to eased regulations in their jurisdictions), it has been pointed out that the domestic ETF market has not been able to sufficiently absorb the demand of investors for diverse types of ETFs. In this regard, an upgrade to relevant regulations is proposed to improve regulatory consistency with global standards and boost the competitiveness of domestic capital markets, while ensuring stronger protection and greater convenience for investors to encourage investments in the domestic market. Key Revision Details a) Introducing single-stock ETFs (same rules to be applied on ETNs) In major overseas markets, such as the U.S. and Hong Kong, there are single-stock ETFs available for domestic investors to trade using mobile applications of domestic securities firms. However, in Korea, it is currently not possible to launch single-stock ETFs or single-stock ETNs due to the dispersed investment rule requiring ETFs to have at least ten (five for ETNs) underlying items with maximum 30 percent limit on each item. In this regard, the FSC will seek to amend relevant rules to allow the listing of single-stock ETFs tracking blue-chip stocks in the domestic market. The revised rules will also apply to exchange-traded notes (ETNs) through an update to the Korea Exchange (KRX) rules. Considering the need for investor protection and also overseas cases, leveraged ETFs and ETN
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Jan 28, 2026

Revised Rules to Expand English Disclosure Requirement and Enhance Transparency in Corporate Disclosures

The Financial Services Commission approved revised rules on corporate disclosures at the regular meeting held on January 28. The rule changes are aimed at expanding the scope of listed companies being subject to the mandatory English disclosure requirement and making corporate disclosure practices more transparent regarding annual general meetings of shareholders (AGMs) and executive compensations. Key Revision Details a) Expanding mandatory English disclosure requirement (from May 2026) The FSC and the Korea Exchange (KRX) have been working on expanding the application of mandatory English disclosure requirement on listed companies in stages. In this regard, the mandatory English disclosure requirement entered into the first stage in January 2024 for listed companies with assets worth KRW10 trillion or more (and foreign ownership of 5 percent or more) or those with assets worth KRW2 trillion or more (and foreign ownership of 30 percent or more). Under the revised rules, the mandatory English disclosure requirement will be expanded to all KOSPI-listed companies with assets worth KRW2 trillion or more from May 2026. This will significantly increase the number of listed companies being subject to the mandatory English disclosure requirement from the current level of 111 companies (based on their total assets as of end-2024) to 265 companies. The disclosure items subject to the mandatory English disclosure will also be expanded to all disclosure items required by KRX rules, including material information in its entirety (55 items), fair disclosure, and inquired disclosure. The time required for companies to submit English disclosures after filing their original Korean disclosures will also be reduced. Large KOSPI-listed companies with assets worth KRW10 trillion or more will need to submit English disclosures on the same day of filing their Korean disclosures with the KRX in principle. Listed companies with assets worth KRW2 trillion or more that are newly becoming sub
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Jan 21, 2026

Rule Change Proposed on Loan-to-deposit Ratio for Banks to Promote Supply of Funds to Regional Economies

The Financial Services Commission issued a preliminary notice of rule change regarding the supervisory regulation on banking business on January 21. The proposed rule change will ease the standard for calculating loan-to-deposit ratios for banks to encourage them to supply more loans to companies and individual business owners operating outside the Seoul metropolitan area. The proposed rule change will be put up for public comment from January 22 until February 11, 2026 and go through an approval process before taking effect in the first quarter of this year. The proposed rule change is part of a broader policy initiative intended to boost the supply of funds to regional economies. In this regard, the proportion of policy funds being supplied to non-Seoul metropolitan regions will be increased from about 40 percent in 2025 to about 45 percent by 2028. This will push up the annual volume of policy funds being supplied to regional economies by about KRW25 trillion to a total of KRW120 trillion in 2028. To promote a well-balanced growth across regions, National Growth Fund, which will make investments in high-tech and future growth industries, will also allocate about 40 percent of its total investments to regions outside the Seoul metropolitan area. There will also be efforts to boost the supply of funds to regions from private financial companies. The FSC plans to upgrade rules and provide incentives to improve the competitiveness of regional banks and strengthen the function of savings banks and mutual finance businesses in providing regional finance. In this regard, the proposed rule change on banks loan-to-deposit ratio is intended to provide incentive for banks to supply more funds to regional economies. Under the current system, banks issuance of loans to companies, individual business owners, and households are weighted 85 percent, 100 percent, and 115 percent, respectively. However, with the rule change in place, the weight applied for calculating banks loan-t
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Jan 14, 2026

Household Loans, December 2025

Household Loans in 2025 In 2025, the outstanding balance of household loans across all financial sectors went up KRW37.6 trillion (preliminary), growing at a slower rate compared with the end of the previous year (up 2.6 percent up 2.3 percent). * Change (in trillion KRW, y-o-y): +107.5 (2021), -8.8 (2022), +10.1 (2023), +41.6 (2024), +37.6 (2025P) It demonstrates that the ratio of household debt to GDP continues to be on a downward path toward stabilization. * Household debt to GDP ratio (%): 98.7 (2021), 97.3 (2022), 93.0 (2023), 89.6 (2024), 89.3 (Q3 2025) (By Type) In 2025, mortgage loans increased at a slower rate compared with the previous year (up KRW58.1 trillion up KRW52.6 trillion). Other types of loans edged down at a slower rate over the same period (down KRW16.5 trillion down KRW15.0 trillion). (By Sector) Household loans grew at a slower rate in the banking sector compared with a year ago (up KRW46.2 trillion up KRW32.7 trillion). The nonbanking sector saw household loans shifting back up from a decline seen in the previous year (down KRW4.6 trillion up KRW4.8 trillion). Mortgage loans from banks rose at a slower rate compared with the previous year (up KRW52.2 trillion up KRW32.4 trillion). Other types of loans from banks edged back up from a decline seen a year ago (down KRW6.0 trillion up KRW0.3 trillion). Household loans in the nonbanking sector declined in the specialized credit finance (down KRW3.0 trillion), insurance (down KRW1.8 trillion), and savings banks (down KRW0.8 trillion) sectors, but rose in the mutual finance (up KRW10.5 trillion) sector. Household Loans in December 2025 In December 2025, the outstanding balance of household loans across all financial sectors dropped KRW1.5 trillion (preliminary), edging down from the growth of KRW4.4 trillion a month ago and of KRW2.0 trillion in the previous year. (By Type) In December 2025, mortgage loans from banks rose at a slower rate compared with the previous month (up KRW3.1 trillion up KRW2
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Jan 12, 2026

Standard Information Consent Form in Insurance Industry Updated to Promote Retrocession Contracts

The Financial Services Commission announced that an update has been made to the standard information consent form in the insurance industry (Jan. 2, 2026) to promote retrocession contracts, which will help insurers spread out risk and enhance stability in claims payouts for policyholders. Retrocession is a reinsurance agreement in which a reinsurer (retrocedent) transfers part or all of its reinsurance risk it has assumed from a primary insurer to another reinsurer (retrocessionaire) for the purpose of managing risks more stably. In order to carry out retrocession transactions, separate consent is required from policyholders for providing information to another reinsurer (retrocessionaire). However, considering the nature of business-to-business (B2B) transactions in reinsurance, it remained difficult for reinsurers to obtain consent directly from policyholders, which has been an impediment for retrocession transactions thus far. In this regard, to promote retrocession contracts, the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service have allowed primary insurers to obtain consent for providing information directly from policyholders in place of reinsurers for retrocession transactions. Following this, the Korea Life Insurance Association and the General Insurance Association of Korea have made an update to their standard information consent form. Key Revision Details With the revised standard information consent form, primary insurers will be able to obtain consent for providing information from policyholders in place of reinsurers for retrocession purposes. The purpose of information use for reinsurers (retrocessionaires) is restricted to retrocession contracts only, permitting them to use information about policyholders only for retrocession transactions purposes. The use of information for other purposes, such as marketing and advertising, will be strictly prohibited. Retrocession contract with an overseas reinsurer may lead to overseas transfer
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Dec 23, 2025

Capital Market Rule Change Strengthening Treasury Stock Disclosure Requirements to Take Effect from December 30

The Financial Services Commission announced that relevant rule changes regarding the Enforcement Decree of the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act (FSCMA) and subordinate regulations have been approved by the government on December 23. The regulatory improvement intended to strengthen the disclosure duty of listed companies with regard to their acquisition and disposal of treasury stocks to help promote the use of treasury stocks for the purpose of enhancing shareholder value is scheduled to take effect from December 30. In this regard, listed companies will be subject to the revised disclosure rules starting with their 2025 annual business report filing. Key Revision Details First, when the proportion of treasury stock holding is one percent or more of the total volume of stocks issued, listed companies will be required to disclose their treasury stock holding status and future plan twice a year. Previously, the minimum threshold was set at five percent of the total volume of stocks issued, and companies were subject to the treasury stock disclosure duty once a year. Thus, the minimum threshold for treasury stock disclosure will be tightened to one percent of the total volume of stocks issued, so that more listed companies will become subject to the treasury stock disclosure duty for their annual and semi-annual business report filing. In addition, an upgrade will be made to the relevant disclosure form to make sure that companies provide more detailed information about their plans for treasury shares for the upcoming six-month period. Second, listed companies will be required to provide a comparison between their previously announced plans and actual implementation status in their treasury stock disclosure reports. Under the current rules, companies disclose their treasury stock acquisition, disposal, and cancellation plans in their annual business reports but often deviate from their original plans to the surprise of investors, raising problems
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Dec 10, 2025

Household Loans, November 2025

In November 2025, the outstanding balance of household loans across all financial sectors increased KRW4.1 trillion (preliminary), rising at a slower pace compared with the previous month (up KRW4.9 trillion). (By Type) Home-backed mortgage loans rose KRW2.6 trillion, growing at a slower pace compared with the previous month (up KRW3.2 trillion). Banks (up KRW2.0 trillion up KRW0.7 trillion) saw the pace of growth decelerating, while nonbanks (up KRW1.2 trillion up KRW1.9 trillion) saw the pace of growth accelerating. Other types of loans rose KRW1.6 trillion, growing at a slower pace compared with the previous month (up KRW1.7 trillion), while credit loans showed a similar level of growth from a month ago (up KRW0.9 trillion up KRW0.9 trillion). (By Sector) In November 2025, household loans in the banking sector rose KRW1.9 trillion, growing at a significantly slower pace compared with the previous month (up KRW3.5 trillion). Banks own mortgage loan products (up KRW1.1 trillion up KRW0.1 trillion), policy-based loans (up KRW0.9 trillion up KRW0.6 trillion), and other types of loans (up KRW1.4 trillion up KRW1.2 trillion) all showed the pace of growth decelerating from the previous month. In the nonbanking sector, household loans increased KRW2.3 trillion, expanding at a faster pace compared with a month ago (up KRW1.4 trillion). Mutual finance businesses (up KRW1.2 trillion up KRW1.4 trillion), insurance companies (up KRW0.1 trillion up KRW0.5 trillion), and specialized credit finance businesses (up KRW0.2 trillion up KRW0.4 trillion) saw the pace of growth accelerating, while savings banks (down KRW0.2 trillion down KRW0.04 trillion) saw the pace of decline slowing down. (Assessment) In November 2025 (up KRW4.1 trillion), the pace of household loan growth decelerated from the previous month (up KRW4.9 trillion) and the same month a year ago (up KRW5.0 trillion), with mortgage loans growing at a slower pace (up KRW3.2 trillion in October up KRW2.6 trillion in Novem
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Dec 08, 2025

9th Regular Korea-Japan Financial Shuttle Meeting and 10th IFCF Held in Busan

The Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service held the 9th annual shuttle meeting of financial authorities with the Financial Services Agency (FSA) of Japan in Busan on December 8. Joint Press Release of the Ninth Regular Korea-Japan Financial Shuttle Meeting (Busan, Korea, December 8, 2025) 1. In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan, the Ninth Regular Korea-Japan Financial Shuttle Meeting was jointly held by the Korea Financial Services Commission (FSC), the Korea Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), and the Japan Financial Services Agency (FSA) in Busan, Korea, on December 8th. The event proceeded as follows: (i) A meeting between FSC Chairman LEE Eog-weon and FSA Commissioner ITO Yutaka; (ii) Congratulatory remarks and a Japan-Korea joint session at the International Financial Cooperation Forum (IFCF); and (iii) A meeting between FSS Governor LEE Chanjin and FSA Commissioner ITO. 2. The heads of the three authorities exchanged their views on the implications of the recent global macroeconomic and financial developments for the financial sectors of both countries. They confirmed with each other the overall direction of key policy agenda items and high-priority policy tasks that would deserve further cooperation among the three authorities. 3. Chairman LEE emphasized the importance of enhancing dialogue between FSC/FSS and FSA high-level officials to facilitate smooth and efficient policy cooperation to better respond to common challenges and opportunities in parallel with matters that would need swift action to preserve the financial stability in the region. He added that the dialogue aims to contribute to strengthening both regulators capacity to cooperate in addressing common policy tasks, including promoting capital markets, digitalizing the financial sector, and responding to aging populations. 4. Commissioner ITO mentioned that the global movement of digitalization s
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Nov 27, 2025

Guidelines on Omnibus Account Provided to Facilitate Domestic Stock Investment by Foreign Investors

The Financial Services Commission announced the availability of guidelines on the use of omnibus account for foreign investors on November 27. Background With the introduction of omnibus account in 2017 and the abolishment of the T+2 transactions reporting duty for omnibus account holders in 2023, the FSC has been making continuous efforts to improve the convenience of transactions for foreign investors. However, in various communications with overseas investors, it has been pointed out that the current eligibility requirement placed on omnibus account holders (foreign financial investment businesses) remains too restrictiveand that there are no guidelines on omnibus account to facilitate its usage. In this regard, in April 2025, the FSC, along with the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) and the Korea Financial Investment Association (KOFIA), granted a regulatory exemption under the financial regulatory sandbox program to assist a domestic securities firm to form a partnership with an overseas small- or medium-sized financial investment business and to enable the latter to open an omnibus account with the domestic securities firm. Through this, the first omnibus account for foreign investors has been opened in August 2025 (Hana Securities-Emperor Securities), and other securities businesses (Samsung Securities and Yuanta Securities) are also following suit through the regulatory exemption program (designated in September 2025). In addition, after taking into account various opinions and questions raised by domestic securities businesses, standing proxies, and foreign institutional investors, the FSC and related organizations have jointly prepared guidelines on the use of omnibus account for foreign investors. Key Details The guidelineson the use of omnibus account for foreign investors provide step-by-step procedural details regarding (a) the opening of omnibus account, (b) allocation of shareholder rights, (c) reporting duty, and (d) the management of internal con
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Nov 20, 2025

Industrial Bank of Korea Gains Banking License from Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF)

The Financial Services Commission announced that the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (Komisja Nadzoru Finansowego, or KNF) granted a banking license to the Poland subsidiary of the Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK) on November 19 (Central European Time). This follows KNFs issuance of the preliminary license authorizing the establishment of IBKs subsidiary in Poland in November 2024. The final approval comes two and a half years after the IBK first set up a local office in Wroclaw, Poland in May 2023. The FSC has been making continuous efforts to boost financial cooperation with foreign financial authorities,and the IBKs gaining of a banking license in Poland demonstrates the effectiveness of global financial cooperation in facilitating overseas expansion of Korean financial companies. From the time the IBK first applied for the establishment of a subsidiary in Poland in March 2024, the FSC had high-level meetings with its Polish counterpart (KNF) on two different occasions and requested strong support for Korean banks operation in Poland. This led to the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in November 2024 and the strengthening of bilateral cooperation. Since most of non-European financial companies tend to enter the EU market by establishing a subsidiary (EU headquarter) in London or Frankfurt, the IBKs Poland subsidiary will become the first and only non-European bank with its EU headquarter in Poland. As the only Korean bank subsidiary established in Poland overseeing its overall EU operations, in accordance with EUs single passport rights, the IBKs Poland subsidiary will not only be able to operate in Central European countries, such as the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia, but serve as a bridge to expand its business operations to Western European countries, such as France and Germany. At first, the IBKs Poland subsidiary is expected to strengthen the provision of financial support made available to Korean SMEs doing business in Eastern Euro
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Nov 17, 2025

FSC Proposes Measures to Improve Corporate Disclosures to Enhance Market Accessibility and Shareholder Rights

The Financial Services Commission, the Financial Supervisory Service, and the Korea Exchange have been working to make improvements to corporate disclosure rules since there have been growing demands from both domestic and overseas investors in seeking information about listed companies.However, it has been suggested that further improvements are needed in order to make capital markets more accessible for global investors and to enhance information provision to make it easier for shareholders to better exercise their rights. In this regard, the FSC, FSS, and KRX have prepared the following measures to strengthen rules on English disclosures and the disclosure of information on annual general meeting of shareholders (AGMs) to help enhance market accessibility and improve shareholder rights. Key Measures Expanding Application of English Disclosure to Boost Market Accessibility a) Mandatory English disclosure: Entering phase II and preparing for phase III Currently, large KOSPI-listed companies with assets worth KRW10 trillion or more (111 companies as of end-2024) are submitting disclosures in English on material information (26 key items), such as information pertaining to corporate governance structure or reorganization, settlement of accounts, and securities issuance, within three business days of filing their original disclosures in Korean with the KRX (effective from January 2024). Starting from May 1, 2026, the mandatory English disclosure requirement will enter into a second phase. The scope of KOSPI-listed companies subject to the mandatory English disclosure requirement will be expanded to those with assets worth KRW2 trillion or more (265 companies as of end-2024). The disclosure items subject to the mandatory English disclosure will also be expanded to all disclosure items required by KRX rules, including material information in its entirety (55 items), fair disclosure, and inquired disclosure. The time required for companies to submit English disclosures a
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Nov 13, 2025

Household Loans, October 2025

In October 2025, the outstanding balance of household loans across all financial sectors increased KRW4.8 trillion (preliminary), rising at a faster pace compared with the previous month (up KRW1.1 trillion). (By Type) Home-backed mortgage loans rose KRW3.2 trillion, growing at a slower pace compared with the previous month (up KRW3.5 trillion). Banks (up KRW2.5 trillion up KRW2.1 trillion) saw the pace of growth decelerating, while nonbanks (up KRW1.1 trillion up KRW1.1 trillion) maintained a similar pace of growth from the previous month. Other types of loans edged back up KRW1.6 trillion from the decline of KRW2.4 trillion seen a month ago due mainly to the rise in credit loans (down KRW1.6 trillion up KRW0.9 trillion). (By Sector) In October 2025, household loans in the banking sector rose KRW3.5 trillion, growing at a faster pace compared with the previous month (up KRW1.9 trillion). Banks own mortgage loan products (up KRW1.4 trillion up KRW1.1 trillion) and policy-based loans (up KRW1.0 trillion up KRW0.9 trillion) both saw the pace of growth decelerating from a month ago. Other types of loans (down KRW0.5 trillion up KRW1.4 trillion) in the banking sector shifted back up from the decline seen in the previous month. In the nonbanking sector, household loans grew KRW1.3 trillion, turning back up from the decline of KRW0.8 trillion seen a month ago. Insurance companies (down KRW0.3 trillion up KRW0.1 trillion) and specialized credit finance businesses (down KRW1.1 trillion up KRW0.2 trillion) saw the volume of household loans shifting back up. Mutual finance businesses (up KRW1.0 trillion up KRW1.1 trillion) saw the pace of growth accelerating, while savings banks (down KRW0.5 trillion down KRW0.2 trillion) saw a slower pace of decline compared with the previous month. (Assessment) In October 2025 (up KRW4.8 trillion), the pace of household loan growth decelerated from the same month a year ago (up KRW6.5 trillion) but accelerated from the previous month (up KR
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Oct 22, 2025

Life Insurance Policyholders Will be Able to Convert Death Benefits into Lifetime Access in Retirement

The Financial Services Commission held a taskforce meeting on October 22 to have a final review of the preparatory work prior to the launch of the products enabling life insurance policyholders to have access to death benefits early in their retirement. From October 30, life insurance policyholders will be able to tap into death benefits as retirement income. On October 23, eligible policyholders will be contacted individually and receive notifications from the following five life insurance companiesSamsung, Hanwha, Kyobo, Shinhan Life, and KB Life. As of the end of September 2025, the total number of eligible life insurance contracts stood at 414,000 with about KRW23.1 trillion in benefits. By January 2, 2026, the rest of life insurers will follow suit and individually contact eligible policyholders for notification a week prior to the scheduled launch. This will bring up the total number of eligible life insurance contracts to 759,000 with the amount of benefits expanding to KRW35.4 trillion. Since the newly introduced products are intended for policyholders aged 55 years old and over, application will only be available face-to-face with tellers via customer service centers or branch offices. To make service experience more convenient, insurance companies will provide simulations and comparisons demonstrating individual customers expected amount of benefits based on the customers chosen ratio and period for converting death benefits into lifetime access. Since the amount of policyholders lifetime access is determined by the amount of paid-in policy premiums, more senior policyholders are expected to receive greater amounts in lifetime access. Thus, policyholders are advised to choose the starting point and the duration of conversion based on individual circumstances. During the lifetime access conversion period, policyholders may choose to suspend or opt out entirely from the program early, and can also choose to reenter the program thereafter. The government plan
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Oct 16, 2025

Household Loans, September 2025

In September 2025, the outstanding balance of household loans across all financial sectors increased KRW1.1 trillion (preliminary), rising at a slower pace compared with the previous month (up KRW4.7 trillion). (By Type) Home-backed mortgage loans went up KRW3.6 trillion, growing at a slower pace compared with the previous month (up KRW5.1 trillion). Banks (up KRW3.8 trillion up KRW2.5 trillion) and nonbanks (up KRW1.3 trillion up KRW1.1 trillion) both saw the pace of growth decelerating. Other types of loans dropped KRW2.4 trillion, declining at a faster pace compared with the previous month (down KRW0.4 trillion) with credit loans falling at an expanded pace (down KRW0.3 trillion down KRW1.6 trillion). (By Sector) In September 2025, household loans in the banking sector rose KRW2.0 trillion, slowing down from the growth of KRW4.1 trillion a month ago. Banks own mortgage loan products (up KRW2.7 trillion up KRW1.4 trillion) rose at a slower pace, while policy-based loans increased at a similar level from a month ago (up KRW1.1 trillion up KRW1.1 trillion). Other types of loans (up KRW0.3 trillion down KRW0.5 trillion) in the banking sector shifted back down from the growth seen a month ago. In the nonbanking sector, household loans edged down KRW0.9 trillion, shifting back down from the growth of KRW0.6 trillion in the previous month. Insurance companies (down KRW0.5 trillion down KRW0.2 trillion) saw the pace of decline decelerating, while specialized credit finance businesses (down KRW0.2 trillion down KRW1.1 trillion) saw the pace of decline accelerating. Mutual finance businesses (up KRW1.2 trillion up KRW0.9 trillion) saw the pace of growth slowing down, while savings banks (up KRW0.03 trillion down KRW0.5 trillion) saw a decline from the growth seen a month ago. (Assessment) In September (up KRW1.1 trillion), household loans grew at a notably slower pace compared with the previous month (up KRW4.7 trillion) and the same month a year ago (up KRW5.4 trillion).
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Sep 30, 2025

KoFIU Unveils H1 2025 Survey Result on Virtual Asset Service Providers

The Korea Financial Intelligence Unit (KoFIU) conducted a survey on 25 registered virtual asset service providers (VASPs) to assess the current state of the domestic virtual asset market and keep relevant statistics up to date. Survey Overview (Respondents) 25 VASPs(17 exchange service providers and 8 custody and wallet service providers) (Survey Method) Data collected from VASPs (Period Covered) January 1, 2025 to June 30, 2025 Key Survey Findings for H1 2025 The price increases in virtual assets and expansion of market size observed into the second half of 2024 slowed down in the first half of 2025. Compared with the previous six-month period, the number of users eligible to trade (up 1.07 million or 11%) went up. However, average daily trading volume (down KRW0.9 trillion or 12%), total operating profits (down KRW134.8 billion or 18%), market capitalization (down KRW15.4 trillion or 14%), and total amount of deposits (down KRW4.5 trillion or 42%) all decreased. However, over the same six-month period, the coin-only exchange market saw growth in average daily trading volume (up KRW450 million or 286%) and market capitalization (up KRW366.5 billion or 298%), despite continuing market dominance by KRW-based exchange service providers. External transfers of virtual assets to the registered entities increased in terms of both travel rule transactions (up 4%) and to the whitelisted overseas entities and personal digital wallets (up 4%). The total size of virtual assets in custody and wallet services (down KRW0.7 trillion or 50%) declined significantly due to drops in base prices and their number of users (down 523 or 41%). * Please refer to the attached PDF for details.
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Sep 25, 2025

Capital Market Rule Change Proposed to Strengthen Treasury Stock Disclosure by Listed Companies

The Financial Services Commission issued a preliminary notice of rule changes regarding the Enforcement Decree of the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act (FSCMA) and subordinate regulations on September 25. The proposed rule changes are intended to strengthen the disclosure duty of listed companies with regard to their acquisition and disposal of treasury stocks to promote the use of treasury stocks for the purpose of enhancing shareholder value. The revision proposal will enter a 40-day public comment period from September 26 to November 5. In 2024, a relevant rule change was made requiring listed companies to disclose their treasury stock holding status and future plan when the proportion of treasury stock holding is five percent or more of the total volume of stocks issued. Since then, the volume of treasury stocks being acquired or cancelled has increased significantly. In 2025, the volume of treasury stocks that have been cancelled in the January-August period (KRW18.8 trillion) has already surpassed the level (KRW13.9 trillion) seen in the twelve-month period a year ago. However, additional rule changes are deemed to be necessary as some listed companies fail to indicate their treasury stock holding status or merely resort to perfunctory reporting practices. Thus, the proposed rule changes will strengthen relevant rules on the disclosure of treasury stocks and establish a regulatory ground to impose aggravated penalties for recurrent rule-breaking to help promote the use of treasury stocks for the purpose of enhancing shareholder value for ordinary shareholders. Key Revision Details First, when the proportion of treasury stock holding is one percent or more of the total volume of stocks issued, listed companies will be required to disclose their treasury stock holding status and future plan twice a year. Under the current rules, the minimum threshold is set at five percent of the total volume of stocks issued, and companies are subject to the
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Sep 10, 2025

Household Loans, August 2025

In August 2025, the outstanding balance of household loans across all financial sectors increased KRW4.7 trillion (preliminary), rising at a faster pace compared with the previous month (up KRW2.3 trillion). (By Type) Home-backed mortgage loans increased KRW5.1 trillion, growing at a somewhat faster pace compared with the previous month (up KRW4.2 trillion). Banks (up KRW3.4 trillion up KRW3.9 trillion) and nonbanks (up KRW0.8 trillion up KRW1.3 trillion) both saw the pace of growth accelerating. Other types of loans dropped KRW0.4 trillion, declining at a slower pace compared with the previous month (down KRW1.9 trillion) as credit loans edged down at a slower pace (down KRW1.1 trillion down KRW0.3 trillion). (By Sector) In August 2025, household loans in the banking sector rose KRW4.2 trillion, growing at a faster pace compared with the previous month (up KRW2.8 trillion). Banks own mortgage loan products (up KRW2.2 trillion up KRW2.7 trillion) increased at an expanded level, while policy-based loans maintained a similar level of growth (up KRW1.2 trillion up KRW1.2 trillion). Other types of loans (down KRW0.6 trillion up KRW0.3 trillion) in the banking sector shifted back up from the decline a month ago. In the nonbanking sector, household loans grew KRW0.6 trillion, turning back up from the decline of KRW0.5 trillion in the previous month. Mutual finance businesses (up KRW0.4 trillion up KRW1.2 trillion) saw the pace of growth accelerating, while savings banks (down KRW0.3 trillion up KRW0.03 trillion) saw an increase from the decline a month ago. Insurance companies (down KRW0.4 trillion down KRW0.4 trillion) and specialized credit finance businesses (down KRW0.2 trillion down KRW0.2 trillion) maintained similar levels of decline compared with the previous month. (Assessment) In August (up KRW4.7 trillion), household loans grew at a notably slower pace compared with the same month a year ago (up KRW9.7 trillion) but expanded at a somewhat faster pace when compa
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Aug 13, 2025

Household Loans, July 2025

In July 2025, the outstanding balance of household loans across all financial sectors increased KRW2.2 trillion (preliminary), rising at a significantly slower pace compared with the previous month (up KRW6.5 trillion), with the volume of growth falling to the lowest level since March this year. (By Type) Home-backed mortgage loans increased KRW4.1 trillion, growing at a slower pace compared with the previous month (up KRW6.1 trillion). Banks (up KRW5.1 trillion up KRW3.4 trillion) and nonbanks (up KRW1.1 trillion up KRW0.7 trillion) both saw the pace of growth decelerating. Other types of loans decreased KRW1.9 trillion, edging back lower from the growth of KRW0.3 trillion in the previous month as credit loans, which has shown an upward movement recently, turned back lower (up KRW0.7 trillion down KRW1.1 trillion). (By Sector) In July, household loans in the banking sector rose KRW2.8 trillion, which has fallen significantly from the growth of KRW6.2 trillion a month ago. Banks own mortgage loan products (up KRW3.8 trillion up KRW2.2 trillion) and policy-based loans (up KRW1.3 trillion up KRW1.2 trillion) both expanded at slower paces. Other types of loans (up KRW1.1 trillion down KRW0.6 trillion) in the banking sector turned back lower from the growth a month ago. In the nonbanking sector, household loans went down KRW0.6 trillion, shifting back down from the growth of KRW0.3 trillion in the previous month. Mutual finance businesses (up KRW1.2 trillion up KRW0.3 trillion) saw the pace of growth slowing, while savings banks (down KRW0.04 trillion down KRW0.3 trillion) and insurance companies (down KRW0.3 trillion down KRW0.4 trillion) saw the pace of decline expanding. Specialized credit finance businesses (down KRW0.6 trillion down KRW0.2 trillion) saw the pace of decline decelerating from the previous month. (Assessment) Household loans in July this year grew at a notably slower pace both on-month and on-year basis due to the effects of the strengthened household
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Jul 09, 2025

All KOSPI-listed Firms to be Subject to Mandatory Corporate Governance Disclosure Duty from 2026

The Financial Services Commission held the 13th regular meeting on July 9 and approved a partial revision to the Korea Exchange (KRX) disclosure rules expanding the duty of mandatory disclosure of corporate governance report to all KOSPI-listed firms from 2026. In a comply or explain approach, the disclosure of corporate governance report allows businesses to open up their compliance status on key corporate governance principles. It was first introduced in 2017 as a voluntary disclosure and has moved to a mandatory disclosure system with more and more companies becoming subject to the mandatory disclosure duty. With the revision of the KRX disclosure rules, this mandatory disclosure of corporate governance report will be expanded to all KOSPI-listed companies from 2026. This will increase the number of firms being subject to the mandatory corporate governance disclosure duty from 541 now (those with total assets worth KRW500 billion or more, as of end-2024) to 842 (all KOSPI-listed firms, as of end-2024). With the expansion of corporate governance disclosure duty, it is expected that there will be more voluntary efforts taken by businesses to make improvements to their governance structures. It is also expected to help boost transparency in corporate management practices. To facilitate a seamless transition, the KRX and the Korea Listed Companies Association plan to provide support through (a) preparatory guidance, (b) one-on-one consultation, (c) on-the-job training for compliance officers and executive officers, and (d) regional information sessions and workshops. The FSC and the KRX will continue to work to ensure a seamless transition in expanding the duty of mandatory disclosure of corporate governance report. * Please refer to the attached PDF for details.
Attachment 1