Seoul: South Korea's state pension fund announced a substantial investment return for the first eight months of the year, driven by strong gains in stock investments amidst a market rally. The National Pension Service (NPS) reported an 8.22 percent return through August, surpassing the three-year annual average return of 6.98 percent.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the pension fund saw its highest return since 2000 in 2014, with a 15.32 percent return on investments. The NPS attributed its robust performance this year to a rally in the local stock market. The fund achieved a 36.4 percent return from investments in local stocks and an 8.6 percent gain from overseas stocks.

The pension fund's investments in bonds and alternative assets were reported as weaker. As of the end of June, the NPS held assets totaling 1,269.1 trillion won (approximately US$888 billion), with around 50 percent of these assets invested in stocks.