Investment Properties Exceed ₩100 Trillion as REITs Market Cap Tops ₩10 Trillion

The value of investment properties held by domestic listed companies has exceeded 100 trillion won for two consecutive years. Seoul Economic Daily and Trusston Asset Management conducted a comprehensive survey of 2,554 KOSPI and KOSDAQ listed companies, revealing that the total value of investment properties held by these listed firms reached 107.8887 trillion won. Numerous cases were found where companies excessively held real estate unrelated to their core business, such as Ihwa Industry, whose investment property value of 204.3 billion won was approximately five times its market capitalization of 42.6 billion won.

The government plans to revise related regulations to increase the tax burden on real estate held by companies unrelated to their core business. On the 9th, President Lee Jae-myung stated at the National Economic Advisory Council meeting, “Let's consider ways to impose a significant burden of holding on non-business real estate.” The Presidential Office and relevant ministries plan to discuss the taxation system for non-business real estate held by companies soon.

Amidst fluctuating domestic and international economic conditions, the combined market capitalization of 25 listed REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts) recorded 10.2955 trillion won. This marks the first time the market cap has surpassed 10 trillion won in the 25 years since their introduction. While the KOSPI index fell by 6.2% due to factors like the conflict in Iran, the KRX Real Estate REITs Infrastructure Index actually rose, demonstrating its defensive strength amidst market volatility. The government has explicitly included the promotion of REITs' separate taxation benefits in its '2026 Economic Growth Strategy,' which could lead to improved after-tax returns for investors.