National Pension Service announces higher domestic stock target allocation; reserves exceed 1,500trillion won

The National Pension Service2026year 5month 31day announced that it would raise its target allocation to domestic stocks. Its chair explained that the increase was a decision aimed at long-term returns, not a measure to support the stock market. In the same remarks, the chair said that measures to reduce selling shocks would also be implemented.

The National Pension Service1quarterly return was 4.42%, it disclosed. The announcement said that its reserves1,500had exceeded trillion won. It reported both investment performance and an increase in reserves.

1The report explained that quarterly results partly reflected the impact of the war in the Middle East. Specifically, it included the statement that geopolitical uncertainty affected returns. The fund manager said it manages the portfolio while taking external factors into consideration.

The chair said that separate measures had been prepared to reduce the impact of selling pressure. The remarks referred to operating principles such as gradual adjustments and spreading out the timing of sales. Specific implementation measures are expected to be decided later by the management committee.

A separate report said that personal holdings of their own companies’ shares by some listed-company executives had generated substantial returns. According to the report, returns on some executives’ own-company shareholdings reached as much as400% levels. There were wide differences in holding periods and returns among companies.

There was also a trend in the financial sector toward shifting retirement pension management to focus on returns. One financial company reported strong performance in its banking and securities divisions. There was mention that the shift toward a focus on retirement pension products is accelerating.