Korea's foreign exchange reserves exceeded $410 billion last month, marking a rebound after three months. This increase is attributed to the depreciation of the dollar, which raised the value of foreign assets, and an increase in revenue. As of the end of May, Korea maintained its position in 10th place in the global foreign exchange reserves rankings for three consecutive months.
According to the Bank of Korea's announcement on June 3 regarding 'foreign exchange reserves as of June 2025,' the foreign exchange reserves at the end of last month amounted to $410.2 billion, an increase of $5.61 billion from the previous month's $404.6 billion. This rebound is the largest since January 2023, which saw an increase of $6.81 billion.
The increase in foreign exchange reserves is influenced by the rise in the dollar value of foreign assets in other currencies due to the weakness of the U.S. dollar and an increase in revenue. According to the Bank of Korea, the dollar index (DXY), which indicates the relative value of the dollar against the currencies of six major countries, fell by about 1.9% in June.
Specifically, the bulk of the foreign exchange reserves consists of U.S. government bonds, agency bonds, corporate bonds, and other securities, amounting to $358.5 billion, a decrease of $1.47 billion from the previous month's $359.97 billion. Conversely, deposits increased by $6.84 billion to $26.54 billion.
Special drawing rights (SDR) stood at $15.89 billion, an increase of $210 million from the previous month's $15.68 billion. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) position was $4.47 billion, reflecting an increase of $10 million from the previous month's $4.46 billion. Gold remained stable at $4.79 billion compared to the previous month.
Korea's foreign exchange reserves, which can be compared with other major countries, recorded $404.6 billion based on the end of May, placing it in 10th position. Korea fell to 10th place for the first time since relevant rankings began in 2000, dropping below Germany and Hong Kong in March.
China ranked first with $3.02853 trillion, an increase of $3.6 billion, followed by Japan ($1.2981 trillion), Switzerland ($980.8 billion), India ($691.3 billion), Russia ($680.4 billion), Taiwan ($592.9 billion), Saudi Arabia ($458.7 billion), Germany ($456.4 billion), and Hong Kong ($431.0 billion).