Nearly 7 out of 10 patent applications for investment-related artificial intelligence (AI) in South Korea originate from non-listed companies and startups, indicating a significant role played by venture firms in driving AI advancements in the finance industry. According to a report by the Korea Capital Market Institute, 67 percent of patent applications for financial investment-related AI were submitted by local Software as a Service (SaaS) companies.
The report highlights that 76 percent of these AI patents were designed for business-to-business sales, while only 14 percent targeted individual customers. Many of the patent requests focused on AI applications for standardized financial tasks like consigned trading of financial products, monitoring abnormal trading activities, and analyzing stock prices.
The study also noted a lack of AI patent filings in areas dealing with non-public information and relying on human networks, such as deal sourcing, as well as in high financial risk-associated domains. The report emphasized the need for active involvement from government and regulatory bodies to ensure broader adoption of AI innovation across the financial investment sector.
South Korea’s major brokerage houses achieved record profits in the previous year, driven by a bullish trend in the local stock market. Data from the industry revealed that the combined net profit of the country’s 27 securities firms is estimated to have reached 10.23 trillion won ($7.03 billion) in 2025, a significant increase from the previous year’s figures.
Leading the earnings chart was Korea Investment & Securities Co., reporting a net income of 2.01 trillion won in the past year, marking a 79 percent surge from the previous year. Mirae Asset Securities Co. followed closely with a net profit of 1.59 trillion won. Moreover, the average daily turnover in the local stock market surged by 57 percent to 16.9 trillion won in 2025 compared to the previous year.
