South Korean Brokers Race to Boost Capital; KB Securities Leads with $1T+ Fundraise

According to Yonhap Infomax, South Korean brokerage firms are accelerating capital raises this year, with bank-affiliated brokers gaining a competitive edge through parent company support. KB Securities moved to the front rank after raising 700 billion won in the first half, followed by a 1 trillion won equity offering last month, surpassing rivals Mirae Asset Securities and Samsung Securities in capital strength.

Shinhan Investment Securities, despite being bank-affiliated, is taking a more cautious approach. The firm's CFO said it has sufficient leverage headroom and is prioritizing risk limit management over near-term capital raises, given it only obtained approval for promissory note business in December last year.