South Korea

Aperçu économique et sectoriel

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.

Secteurs clés

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Macro

PIB nominal, USD	$1.86T
Croissance du PIB réel, annuel	0.9%
Inflation annuel	2.1%
Population habitants	51.8M
PIB par habitant USD	$36,000
Capitalisation boursière total coté, USD	$2.40T
Capitalisation boursière / PIB	129.1%
Chômage	2.7%
Sociétés cotées	2,500
Bourse	Korea Exchange (KRX)

Année des données: 2025. Sources: 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.

Bourse locale & accès

Bourse	Korea Exchange
Code	KRX
Site web	global.krx.co.kr
Devise	KRW

Accès aux courtiers locaux

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.

Courtiers internationaux avec accès aux marchés étrangers

• 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.

Indiqué à titre indicatif uniquement — pas une recommandation. Les marchés disponibles, les frais et les règles d'ouverture de compte varient selon le courtier et votre pays de résidence.

Relocalisation & résidence

Accès pour les investisseurs étrangers

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.