South Korean securities firms experienced a significant surge in net profits in 2025, with a 39 percent increase driven primarily by higher commission income resulting from robust stock trading activity, according to recent data.
The aggregate net profit of 61 domestic securities companies reached 9.65 trillion won ($6.46 billion) last year, marking a substantial 38.9 percent rise compared to the 6.94 trillion won profit recorded the previous year, as reported by the Financial Supervisory Service.
The combined income from commission fees for these firms jumped 28.3 percent year-on-year to 16.62 trillion won in 2025, fueled by the surge in stock trading. Additionally, their combined income from investments and stock trading increased by 1.4 percent to 12.75 trillion won during the same period.
Stock turnover for the year amounted to 6,348 trillion won, a significant increase of 1,679 trillion won, or 36 percent, from the previous year’s 4,669 trillion won, according to the regulatory body.
As of the end of December, the combined assets of these securities firms stood at 943.9 trillion won, reflecting a substantial increase of 188.7 trillion won, or 25 percent, from the previous year. Their debts also increased by 26.8 percent to 841.5 trillion won over the same period.
The data also revealed that their capital base grew by 11.7 percent year-on-year, reaching 102.4 trillion won.
