Korea's overseas direct investment soars 36 percent in Q1

Korea's overseas direct investment shot up 36 percent in the first quarter of 2026 from a year earlier, data showed Tuesday, led by the financial and insurance sector.

The combined amount of overseas direct investment made by Korean businesses came to $21.74 billion in the January to March period, rising sharply from $15.96 billion posted a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Finance and Economy, maintaining on-year growth since the third quarter of 2025.

By sector, overseas investment in the financial and insurance industry shot up 63 percent to $13.38 billion.

The Finance Ministry attributed the growth to Korean businesses' efforts to diversify their global portfolios amid a boom in the global stock market.

The information and communication sector also saw the figure expand more than threefold over the period to $1.19 billion, the data showed.

That in the manufacturing industry, on the other hand, shed 5.7 percent to $3.4 billion.

By destination, investment in the United States doubled to $10.15 billion, while that in Luxembourg rose 97.9 percent to $2.08 billion.

Investment in Singapore also more than doubled to $1.05 billion, the data showed.

Yonhap