SEOUL, March 17 (Xinhua) -- South Korean financial firms' overseas real estate investment grew in the third quarter of 2025, financial watchdog data showed Tuesday.
Overseas real estate alternative investment in the financial sector, including banks, insurers and brokerages, reached 55.1 trillion won (36.8 billion U.S. dollars) at the end of September, up 0.6 trillion won (400.9 million dollars) from three months earlier, according to the Financial Supervisory Service.
It took up 0.7 percent of total assets, owned by the financial companies.
Of the total property investment, insurance companies held the largest portion of 55.8 percent, followed by banks with 20.8 percent and securities firms with 13.2 percent.
The majority of the investment, representing 60.5 percent, went to North America, while Europe and Asia accounted for 18.3 percent and 6.5 percent each.
At the end of September, investment in overseas single-site real estate projects totaled 31.9 trillion won (21.3 billion dollars), 6.45 percent of which were exposed to events of default, or the acceleration of repayment on higher risk of defaults.
The financial watchdog said that it will monitor the possibility of additional risks and prepare for market uncertainties amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. ■
