It turned out that the number of financial complaints filed in the first half of this year rose just 1.9% from a year earlier. The result is seen as a base effect from last year's surge in dispute complaints related to Hong Kong H-index equity-linked securities (ELS).
According to the 2025 first-half financial complaint trends released by the Financial Supervisory Service on the 22nd, a total of 57,359 financial complaints were filed in the first half of this year, up 1.9% (1,084 cases) from the same period a year earlier (56,275 cases).
By sector, banks received 10,149 complaints, down 27.9% (3,931 cases) from a year earlier. Due to the decline in Hong Kong ELS complaints, complaints about funds and trusts plunged 94.4% and 96.6%, respectively. In the working-class and small-income institutional sector, 13,942 complaints were filed in the first half of this year, an increase of 17.8% (2,106 cases) from last year. Complaints about mutual finance such as Saemaul Geumgo and credit unions jumped 40.6% and 8.8%.
In life insurance and non-life insurance, 6,685 and 21,452 complaints, respectively, were filed in the first half. Those figures rose 1.5% (99 cases) and 9.1% (1,784 cases), respectively, from a year earlier. In life insurance, complaints about the calculation and payment of insurance benefits increased 13.6%. Complaints related to insurance solicitation, which account for the largest share of all complaints, fell 19.2%. In non-life insurance, complaints related to coverage determinations increased 28%.
In the financial investment institutional sector, 5,131 complaints were filed in the first half, up 25% (1,026 cases) from a year earlier. Complaints against securities firms, real estate trust companies, and asset management companies increased, while those against investment advisory firms decreased.
The number of financial complaints handled came to 59,463, up 19.1% (9,522 cases) from last year. The FSS said, "We will advance our focused processing system by dispute type for efficient and swift complaint and dispute resolution," and added, "Through partnership meetings with financial companies vulnerable in complaint handling, we will encourage stronger internal controls related to complaints and disputes."