South Korea

Panorama económico e industrial

South Korea is a high-income OECD economy with a nominal GDP of approximately $1.86 trillion in 2025, ranking among the top 15 globally. The economy is driven by export-oriented industries, particularly semiconductors, automobiles, shipbuilding, and consumer electronics, with the chaebol conglomerate structure remaining central to industrial output. South Korea's technology sector has grown in global importance, particularly in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips used in AI applications, a segment in which Korean manufacturers hold dominant market share. Real GDP growth slowed to approximately 0.9% in 2025 amid weak domestic consumption and political uncertainty, though recovery was projected for 2026. The Korea Exchange (KRX) operates the KOSPI main board and KOSDAQ market, together listing over 2,500 domestic companies with combined market capitalization exceeding $2.4 trillion as of end-2025.

Sectores clave

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Macro

PIB nominal, USD	$1.86T
Crecimiento del PIB real, anual	0.9%
Inflación anual	2.1%
Población personas	51.8M
PIB per cápita USD	$36,000
Capitalización bursátil total cotizado, USD	$2.40T
Cap. bursátil / PIB	129.1%
Desempleo	2.7%
Empresas cotizadas	2,500
Bolsa	Korea Exchange (KRX)

Año de los datos: 2025. Fuentes: IMF World Economic Outlook April 2026 (KOR nominal GDP, growth rate), Korea Exchange (KRX) official data (market capitalization figures), companiesmarketcap.com (company rankings and market caps, June 2026), Korea Times / KED Global (SK Hynix overtaking Samsung, June 2026), iShares EWY fact sheet Q1 2026 (ETF expense ratio, AUM), Franklin FTSE South Korea ETF (FLKR) fact sheet 2025 (expense ratio, AUM), ETFdb.com (EEM, IEMG South Korea allocation), 247wallst.com / ETFdb.com (VWO excludes Korea due to FTSE developed classification), Kim & Chang legal alerts (IRC abolishment, LEI requirement, FSC regulatory changes 2023-2025), Interactive Brokers press release May 2026 (KRX access launch), US State Department 2025 Investment Climate Statements: South Korea, WorldPassports / CitizenX / goldenvisas.com (residency by investment program details), Trading Economics / Statista (inflation, unemployment 2025), IMF Article IV Consultation November 2025 (GDP growth 0.9%, Korea outlook), Wikipedia Korea Exchange (listed companies, KOSDAQ, KONEX), est. GDP per capita based on IMF nominal GDP / population figures.

Bolsa local y acceso

Bolsa	Korea Exchange
Código	KRX
Sitio web	global.krx.co.kr
Moneda	KRW

Acceso a brókers locales

Interactive Brokers launched direct access to KRX-listed equities for non-Korean, non-Japan clients in May 2026, making it the first major US-based global broker to offer seamless KRX trading; existing clients can enable KRX permissions in Client Portal. Saxo Bank also provides access to Korean equities for eligible international clients. Local Korean brokers including Mirae Asset Securities, Samsung Securities, Kiwoom Securities, and KB Securities all offer accounts to foreign residents holding a valid Korean residency registration; non-resident foreigners generally must use a custodian bank and nominee arrangement. Foreign institutional investors may trade directly through a Korean securities firm after establishing a custodian account and obtaining an LEI. Transaction taxes of 0.18% (KOSPI) apply to sell-side trades in addition to brokerage commissions.

Brókers globales con acceso a mercados extranjeros

• Interactive Brokers — Direct access to 90+ markets worldwide, including many emerging exchanges.
• Saxo Bank — Multi-market access across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
• Charles Schwab (Global) — Foreign ordinary shares on select markets; US-listed ADRs and ETFs.
• Fidelity International Trading — International stock trading on a number of developed and emerging markets.

Listado solo a efectos informativos — no constituye recomendación. Los mercados disponibles, las comisiones y los requisitos de incorporación varían según el bróker y el país de residencia.

Reubicación y residencia

Acceso para inversores extranjeros

Foreign investors face minimal restrictions on purchasing Korean equities. Aggregate foreign ownership ceilings were abolished in 1998. Sector-specific limits remain for industries deemed strategically sensitive, including aviation, broadcasting, and certain telecommunications services, where foreign ownership may be capped at 49% or less. As of December 2023, the requirement for foreign investors to obtain an Investment Registration Certificate (IRC) from the Financial Supervisory Service was abolished; foreigners can now trade Korean stocks using a Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) for institutional investors or a passport number for individuals. Foreign residents may open a securities trading account and a won-denominated cash account with a local custodian bank or licensed securities firm. Non-resident foreigners must transact through a local custodian arrangement. As of mid-2025, foreign investors held approximately 32.7% of KOSPI-listed stocks by market value.