FX.co ★ South Korea FX Reserves Post Record Monthly Increase

South Korea’s foreign exchange reserves climbed to $442.3 billion at the end of August 2026, up from $428.0 billion in July, with the $14.3 billion increase representing the largest monthly gain on record. The rise was largely driven by higher foreign currency deposits held by financial institutions and valuation gains in marketable securities. Securities, the largest component of the reserves, increased by $7.1 billion to $387.1 billion, while deposits surged by $7.2 billion to $30.3 billion. Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) inched up to $15.8 billion, and the country’s reserve position at the IMF also recorded a slight increase. Gold holdings were steady at $4.8 billion. Foreign exchange reserves have now risen for three consecutive months since June, with the August increase surpassing the previous record monthly gain of $14.29 billion set in May 2009.