Seoul, September 29 (QNA) - South Korea's overseas direct investment rose 32.3% in the second quarter of 2026 from a year earlier, led by the financial and communication sectors.

Data released Tuesday by the South Korea's Ministry of Economy and Finance showed that Overseas direct investment by South Korea totaled $20.52 billion in the April-June period, up from $15.5 billion from the same three month period in 2025.

The finance ministry attributed the increase to South Korean businesses' efforts to diversify their global portfolios. The figure has posted on-year growth since the third quarter of 2025.

By sector, overseas investment in the financial and insurance industry jumped 33.4% to $10.48 billion. Overseas direct investment in manufacturing rose 3.2% on-year to $3.57 billion.

Investment in the information and communication sector more than tripled to $2.73 billion, the data showed.

By destination, investment in the United States rose 53.6% to $8.86 billion, followed by Japan at $2.46 billion, sharply up from $300 million a year earlier. Investment in Luxembourg rose 14.2% to $1.59 billion, the latest findings showed. (QNA)