South Korea's pension giant plans to issue foreign currency bonds to stabilize the market, and multiple ministries are gathering to address the risk of depreciation of the South Korean won.

Seuran Lee, the first deputy minister of the South Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare, expressed hope that the National Pension Service (NPS) would start issuing foreign currency bonds by the end of this year; amidst the exacerbation of exchange rate fluctuations, this move will strengthen efforts to diversify financing. Lee's remarks on the timeline are the first time a government official has commented on the unprecedented plan to issue US dollar bonds for the fund. The weak trend of the Korean won has put pressure on the NPS, the world's third-largest pension fund, forcing it to better manage its foreign exchange investment portfolio to stabilize the currency market. Concerned that additional capital outflows could further weaken the Korean won, the weakening of the won has complicated Seoul's plan to invest $350 billion in US industries under a trade agreement with Washington. Since mid-2025, the Korean won has fallen by about 7% against the US dollar, and the fund has been supporting the won by selling dollars in the foreign exchange forward market. Lee also stated that the Ministry of Health and Welfare, NPS, Ministry of Finance, and central bank will hold their first formal meeting as a quadrilateral consultation body on Thursday to address issues of financial market stability.