Seoul: Deposits held by trust companies in South Korea expanded 10 percent on-year in 2025, as investors parked more money in trust products amid a bullish stock market, data showed Wednesday. The total deposits handled by 60 local fiduciaries reached 1,516.5 trillion won (US$1.032 trillion) as of the end of December, rising 138.4 trillion won from a year ago, according to the data from the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS).

According to Yonhap News Agency, the increase came as investors put more money, securities, and real estate under the management of trust firms to generate higher returns. Of the total, deposits held by banks accounted for 45.9 percent, or 696 trillion won, followed by real estate trust firms with 30.2 percent, or 457.5 trillion won, and securities firms with 21.9 percent or 332 trillion won, according to the watchdog.

The companies' combined income from fiduciary work reached 2.09 trillion won last year, up 1.4 percent from a year earlier.