Five Major Banks Rank in the Foreign Exchange Market's Top 7; Meritz Securities Leads Among Non-Banks

[Financial News] As of the first half of this year, all five major commercial banks were included in the top seven in foreign exchange market trading volume over the past year.
According to the '2026 Foreign Exchange Market League Table' released by the Bank of Korea (BOK) on the 26th, a survey of foreign exchange trading volume from July last year to June this year showed that KB Kookmin Bank, Shinhan Bank, Woori Bank, Hana Bank and Nonghyup Bank all made the top seven.
The survey covered 98 institutions participating in the foreign exchange market, including registered foreign institutions. The rankings were not disclosed separately.
In the 2025 league table first released by the Seoul Foreign Exchange Market Steering Council, rankings were disclosed for Hana Bank, Shinhan Bank, Crédit Agricole Bank, Woori Bank, JPMorgan Chase Bank, KB Kookmin Bank and BNP Paribas Bank.
However, the share of trading during extended hours, from 3:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. the next day, was disclosed for each institution's total trading volume. By that measure, Nonghyup Bank led with 43%, followed by Woori Bank at 35%, Hana Bank at 27%, KB Kookmin Bank at 25%, Shinhan Bank at 23%, JPMorgan Chase Bank at 16% and BNP Paribas Bank at 15%.
By market segment, in spot foreign exchange, Woori Bank (51%), Nonghyup Bank (50%), KDB (43%), KB Kookmin Bank and Hana Bank (36%), Shinhan Bank (34%) and Crédit Agricole Bank (6%) were among the top seven.
In the foreign exchange swap market, HSBC Korea (21%), Standard Chartered Bank Korea Ltd. (17%), KB Kookmin Bank and Hana Bank (16%), JPMorgan Chase Bank (15%), Woori Bank (13%) and Shinhan Bank (12%) were included.
Among non-bank institutions, Meritz Securities ranked first in spot foreign exchange, foreign exchange swaps and overall trading.

[email protected] Kim Tae-il Reporter