KB Securities said on Tuesday that balances in its brokerage individual savings account (ISA) exceeded 4 trillion won as of Jan. 5.

A brokerage ISA is an account that can be used to manage and consolidate investments in a single account, including financial products such as funds, equity-linked securities (ELS) and bonds, as well as domestically listed stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). If the account is terminated after being held for 3 years, it offers tax exemptions of up to 4 million won (for the low-income account type). A separate 9.9 percent tax rate applies to gains above that amount, offering tax savings.

An analysis of KB Securities brokerage ISA customer data showed a clear ETF-focused investment trend centred on investors in their 20s and 30s.

The number of brokerage ISA investors in their 20s and 30s rose sharply to 72,000 at the end of 2025 from 47,000 at the end of 2024. As of the end of 2025, stocks and ETFs accounted for 92 percent of investment assets among investors in their 20s and 30s and 86 percent among those in their 40s and 50s, highlighting a stronger propensity for direct investment among younger people.

By contrast, clients in their 60s and 70s had an investment share of about 20 percent in products such as funds, bonds, ELS and repurchase agreements (RP), confirming an investment tendency to place greater emphasis on asset allocation as age rises.

Son Hee-jae, head of the Digital Business Group at KB Securities, said the brokerage ISA is a product that allows flexible asset allocation based on investment objectives, and that as investment patterns by age group become established, it shows the market has entered a stage of structural growth. He said the company plans to continue to pursue growth in the brokerage ISA market by strengthening customer-focused products and services.