Korea’s foreign reserves rise in February after three months

SEOUL, 6th March, 2026 (WAM) — The Republic of Korea’s foreign reserves rose from a month earlier in February, marking the first increase in three months, driven by investment returns and the issuance of foreign currency-denominated Exchange Stabilisation Fund (ESF) bonds, the central bank said Thursday.

The country’s foreign reserves stood at US$427.62 billion at the end of February, up US$1.72 billion from a month earlier, according to data from the Bank of Korea (BOK).

The reserves had fallen in December for the first time since June and continued to decline through January, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The country’s reserve position with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) increased by US$200 million from a month earlier to US$4.6 billion at the end of February, the data showed.