SEOUL, July 3 (Xinhua) -- South Korean financial firms' overseas real estate investment rose in the fourth quarter of last year, financial watchdog data showed Thursday.

Overseas real estate investment by domestic financial companies, including banks, insurers and brokerages, reached 56.0 trillion won (41.2 billion U.S. dollars) at the end of December 2024, up 0.2 trillion won (147.2 million dollars) from three months earlier, according to the Financial Supervisory Service.

It accounted for 0.8 percent of total assets, owned by the financial sector.

Among the total investment, insurance companies held the largest portion of 53.8 percent, followed by banks with 22.3 percent and securities firms with 13.6 percent.

The majority of the investment, representing 62.5 percent, went to North America, while Europe and Asia accounted for 18.4 percent and 6.9 percent each.

Of the total investment, 70.9 percent will mature by 2030, with 14.9 percent set to mature this year. ■