In 2025, South Korea's overseas direct investment reached $71.88 billion, rebounding after three years.

The South Korean Ministry of Economy and Finance said Friday that South Korea’s overseas direct investment in 2025 rebounded for the first time in three years, driven by changes in global financial markets and an increase in corporate spending.

According to data from the South Korean Ministry of Economy and Finance, South Korean companies’ overseas direct investment rose 8.7% year over year last year, reaching $71.88 billion.

After hitting a historical high of $83.48 billion in 2022, South Korea’s overseas investment declined over the following two years, but rebounded in 2025.

The South Korean Ministry of Economy and Finance said the growth was attributable to a range of factors, including a trend toward interest-rate cuts, strong global stock markets, and companies expanding investment in response to changes in the global economic situation.

The United States is the largest destination country for South Korea’s investment in the U.S. In 2025, total investment amounted to $25.27 billion, up 12.9% from the previous year, and also the first increase since 2022. Within that, investment in the finance and insurance sector rose sharply, while investment in manufacturing remained stable.

The Cayman Islands ranked second with investment of $8.44 billion, followed by Luxembourg with $6.34 billion in third place, and Singapore with $3.82 billion in fourth.

By industry, overseas investment in finance and insurance grew 46.9% from the same period last year to $37.89 billion. Overseas manufacturing investment also increased 4.1% year over year to $17.11 billion.

The South Korean Ministry of Economy and Finance said that the combined total investment in the finance, insurance, and manufacturing sectors is about 77% of total investment, leading the overall growth.

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