IPO proceeds in S. Korea rise 15 pct on-year in 2025: data

IPOs-tally

IPO proceeds in S. Korea rise 15 pct on-year in 2025: data

SEOUL, March 4 (Yonhap) -- Combined proceeds from initial public offerings (IPOs) in South Korea increased by about 15 percent from a year earlier in 2025, data showed Wednesday.

The proceeds from IPOs stood at 4.5 trillion won (US$3.04 billion) last year, compared with 3.9 trillion won a year earlier, according to the data from the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS).

A total of 76 companies made their debuts on the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) and the secondary Korea Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (KOSDAQ) markets in 2025, down from 77 companies going public a year earlier.

LG CNS Co., an information technology affiliate of LG Electronics Inc., amassed the largest amount of IPO money at 1.2 trillion won, followed by DH Shipbuilding Co. with 500 billion won and Seoul Guarantee Insurance Co. (SGI) at 182 billion won.

Some 41 percent of IPO shares were first allotted to institutional investors who guarantee the holdings of IPO shares for a certain period, usually three to six months.

The average subscription rate for IPOs by retail investors stood at 1.106 last year, the data showed.

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