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Gold trading soars to all-time high in first half of 2025 as investors seek safe-haven assets

Published: 02 Jul. 2025, 15:59

A Korea Gold Exchange employee sorts gold bars at the agencies headquarters in Jongno District, central Seoul, on April 14. [YONHAP]

Gold trading on the Korea Exchange (KRX) soared to an all-time high in the first half of 2025, as economic uncertainty fueled investor appetite for safe-haven assets.

Total gold trading volume between January and June reached 37.3 tons — the highest since the market was established in 2014, according to the KRX’s midyear report on the gold market released on Wednesday.

This represents more than a fourfold increase compared to the same period last year, when 9.0 tons were traded. It also surpasses the total annual volume of 26.3 tons recorded in 2024.

Retail investors accounted for the largest share of trading at 46.9 percent, followed by institutions at 34.0 percent and physical traders at 19.1 percent.

The average price of 1-kilogram (2.2-pound) gold bars with a purity of 99.5 percent or higher was 144,000 won ($106) per gram during the first half of this year, up 36.7 percent from the 2024 average of 106,000 won per gram.

The KRX attributed the surge to increased demand for safe-haven assets amid rising global economic uncertainty.

The market also saw improved investor access, with one new gold exchange-traded fund (ETF) and one exchange-traded note (ETN) listed in the first half of the year, both of which invest in KRX-listed gold.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [[email protected]]