South Korea’s foreign exchange reserves surged to $442.3 billion at the end of August 2026 from $428.0 billion in July, marking the largest monthly increase on record. The $14.3 billion rise was mainly driven by higher foreign currency deposits from financial institutions and gains in marketable securities. Securities remained the largest component, rising by $7.1 billion to $387.1 billion, while deposits jumped by $7.2 billion to $30.3 billion. Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) edged up to $15.8 billion, while the country’s reserve position at the IMF also increased slightly. Gold holdings were unchanged 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.