S. Korea's capital market tops 20 quadrillion won

The trading volume of South Korea's capital market surpassed 20 quadrillion won (US$19 trillion) in the fiscal year 2010, fueled by rising investments in stocks, data showed Sunday. The total size of financial products trading entrusted to local brokerages reached 22.3 quadrillion won in the year ended on March 31, according to the data by the Financial Supervisory Service. The figure includes trading of equities, bonds and funds. The data comes on the back of the local stock market's growth. Its market capitalization reached 1.24 quadrillion won in 2010, growing nearly six-fold from 217 trillion won a decade earlier, according to the data. The number of stock investors in South Korea reached 4.78 million last year, up from 3.3 million in 2000, the data showed. The figure indicates that nearly one in 10 South Koreans have invested in equities. Market experts said the surge in financial trading has paved the way for companies to procure capital and for investors to choose from a wider array of financial products. They did, however, say South Korea should also step up efforts for investor protection in order to become Asia's financial hub.