The Ministry of Finance and Economy (MOFE) hosted an Investor Relations (IR) session on the Korean economy for major global investors in London, United Kingdom, on May 18.
The session was attended by approximately 20 senior executives, including CEOs, from 17 major financial institutions. Participants included leading global asset management firms such as Blackrock, PIMCO, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, Amundi, Fidelity, and UBS Asset Management, as well as major European investment banks including BNP Paribas, Barclays, Standard Chartered, and Société Générale.
The event marked the third IR session hosted by the DPM this year, following previous events in Tokyo in March and New York in April. The event was organized to strengthen communication with key global investors in response to growing interest in the Korean economy and capital markets in global financial markets.
At the briefing, DPM Koo presented a vision for a new era of the “Korea Premium,” driven by Korea’s strategic positioning in key supply chain sectors in the age of the “AI transformation” and by accelerated reforms across the foreign exchange (FX) and capital markets.
First, DPM Koo noted that Korea is a key global player with world-class manufacturing capabilities in supply chain sectors essential to the realization of physical AI, including memory semiconductors, high-bandwidth memory (HBM), secondary batteries, and power semiconductors and sensors. He also stated that, leveraging its advanced IT infrastructure and strong digital capabilities, Korea is expanding the adoption of AI across all industries. He also stressed that the government is accelerating capital market reforms by pursuing investor-friendly measures, including amendments to the Commercial Act aimed at improving corporate governance and enhancing shareholder protection, as well as tax reforms such as the introduction of a separate taxation scheme for dividend income.
He went on to explain that the combination of Korea’s industrial competitiveness and capital market reforms has already produced tangible results. Since the launch of the new administration in June 2025, the KOSPI index has risen by more than 170%, recording the highest increase among major economies, while the market capitalization of the Korean stock market has climbed six places to become the seventh largest in the world. In addition, following the successful inclusion of Korean government bonds in the World Government Bond Index (WGBI) in April 2026, approximately USD 10.9 billion in new capital inflows had been recorded as of May 15.
DPM Koo stressed that the government will go further by stepping up policy efforts to lead the era of “AI transformation” and by further advancing reforms in the FX and capital markets. The government will focus on fostering seven leading physical AI sectors – including robotics, automobiles, and shipbuilding – as well as 15 Hyper-Innovation Economy projects such as graphene, superconductors, and small modular reactors (SMRs). He also noted that, in the FX and capital markets, the government will continue to improve convenience for foreign investors through measures such as extending FX market trading to 24 hours, establishing an offshore won settlement system, and simplifying account opening and settlement procedures.
Lastly, DPM Koo highlighted that “the Korea Discount is a term of the past, and now is the golden time to invest in Korea as the Korea Premium is becoming a new reality,” while encouraging investors to make active investments in Korea.
MOFE (Deputy Minister for International Economic Affairs) also delivered a presentation to investors covering: 1) recent trends and fundamentals of the Korean economy; 2) key growth drivers of the Korean economy; 3) the government’s future policy directions; and 4) reform efforts aimed at enhancing market access.
Please refer to the attached files.
