South Korea's state pension fund said Friday that it logged a record return on its investment last year, led by solid profits from overseas stocks.
The National Pension Service posted a 15 percent investment return in 2024, leading to its annual profit of 160 trillion won ($109.72 billion).
It marked the highest return since the fund was launched in 1988. The previous record was set in 2023, when the NPS reported a 13.59 percent return on its investment.
The value of assets managed by the NPS, accordingly, rose to 1,213 trillion won as of end-December.
The growth came as the fund registered a 34.32 percent return on its investment in overseas stocks last year, which offset investment losses of 6.94 percent in the domestic stock market amid concerns about corporate earnings and political chaos.
Local and overseas bonds delivered a return of 5.27 percent and 17.14 percent, respectively.
"The NPS has been trying to diversify investment portfolios and find fresh investment opportunities in partnership with global management firms," NPS CEO Kim Tae-hyun said. "We will further strengthen our fund management capabilities, while putting a focus on thorough risk management." (Yonhap)
