South Korean unclaimed asset recovery initiatives

In October 2026, various South Korean entities launched campaigns to return unclaimed funds to citizens and investors.

The Korea Securities Depository (KSD) initiated an eight-week campaign to assist investors in reclaiming unclaimed stocks and dividends. As of late September, the KSD held approximately 45.1 billion KRW in cash and 2.32 million shares. These assets, categorized as ‘unclaimed dividends and profits,’ originated from physical stock certificates that investors failed to register under their own names. The KSD is collaborating with four major securities firms to provide guidance via its ‘Unclaimed Dividend Inquiry Service’.

Simultaneously, the municipalities of Dongducheon and Gyeongsan launched local tax refund drives. Dongducheon is addressing roughly 105 million won across 6,867 cases, with plans to notify citizens regarding refunds exceeding 10,000 won. Gyeongsan is conducting a month-long cleanup to return 128 million won in unclaimed local taxes, involving approximately 5,300 cases. Gyeongsan officials noted that most claims involve small amounts under 50,000 won and will utilize KakaoTalk and physical notices to facilitate the process.