South Korea FX Reserves Edge Lower in May

South Korea’s foreign exchange reserves edged down to $427.0 billion in May 2026 from $427.9 billion in April. Securities remained the largest component of the country's reserve assets, totaling $380.7 billion and accounting for 89.2% of the total. Deposits stood at $21.4 billion, representing 5.0% of reserves, while Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) amounted to $15.8 billion, or 3.7%. Gold holdings were valued at $4.8 billion, accounting for 1.1% of total reserves, and the country's reserve position at the International Monetary Fund totaled $4.4 billion, equivalent to 1.0% of overall holdings.

South Korea’s foreign exchange reserves rose to $427.9 billion at the end of April 2026 from $423.7 billion in the previous month. The increase came despite dollar injections to defend against high exchange rates, driven by investment returns and a higher dollar-converted value of other currency assets. Broken down by asset, securities such as government bonds and corporate bonds increased to $384.1 billion (vs $377.7 billion in March). Deposits fell to $18.8 billion (vs $21.1 billion), while Special Drawing Rights (SDR) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) rose to $15.8 billion (vs $15.6 billion). Gold stood at $4.8 billion, unchanged from the previous month, as it is recorded at the purchase price rather than market value, as well as the IMF reserve position, remaining at $4.5 billion. As of March, South Korea ranked 12th globally in foreign exchange reserves.

South Korea’s foreign exchange reserves fell to $423.7 billion at the end of March 2026, down from $427.6 billion in February. The decrease was driven by lower dollar-equivalent values of other currency assets and market stabilization measures, including foreign exchange swaps with the National Pension Fund. Securities holdings were $377.7 billion (vs. $379.96 billion in February), deposits declined to $21.1 billion (vs. $22.5 billion), SDRs stood at $15.6 billion (vs. $15.8 billion), gold holdings remained at $4.79 billion, and the IMF reserve position was $4.55 billion (vs. $4.61 billion). As of February, South Korea ranked 12th globally in foreign exchange reserves.