Seoul plans to draw more global capital to promising Korean companies by courting international financial firms and investors, Mayor Oh Se-hoon said Tuesday.
“Seoul will stand at the forefront of this transformation,” Oh said. “The city will help broaden the global reach of Korea’s capital markets, bringing international capital to Seoul and taking the city’s innovation to the world.”
Oh was delivering a congratulatory address at The Korea Herald’s 2026 HIT Forum at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in central Seoul.
Held under the theme “Korea Premium: Connecting Korean Opportunities With Global Capital,” the forum brought together Korean and international leaders in finance and investment.
Oh said competitive capital markets should make it easier for promising companies and startups to find investors and raise the funding they need to grow.
That would require transparent and predictable markets that earn the trust of Korean and overseas investors while directing more risk capital toward companies with high growth potential, he said.
Oh also pointed to Seoul’s eighth-place finish in the Global Financial Centers Index released in March, although he cautioned that rankings alone would not establish the city as a leading global financial hub.
Published every March and September by London-based Z/Yen Partners in collaboration with the China Development Institute, the index assesses financial centers based on factors including business environment, human capital, infrastructure and financial-sector development.
The latest edition ranked 120 financial centers selected from 137 centers researched. Seoul rose two places and remained in the global top 10 for the fourth consecutive year.
New York retained the top spot, followed by London, Hong Kong and Singapore. Seoul ranked ahead of Shenzhen in China and Tokyo.
Oh pledged to build on that momentum by attracting more international financial firms, developing financial talent and creating more opportunities for innovative companies to connect with investors.
“A virtuous cycle in which promising companies receive fair valuations and their success fuels further innovation and investment is the ‘Korea premium’ we must create,” Oh said.
yunapark@heraldcorp.com
