As of the end of July, dollar deposits held by domestic residents surpassed $100 billion for the first time ever. The total volume of foreign currency deposits also reached an all-time high.

According to data released by the Bank of Korea, the balance of residents' foreign currency deposits at foreign exchange banks stood at $128.34 billion as of the end of July, up $15.01 billion from the end of the previous month. This is the largest figure since the statistics were first compiled in June 2012, and the increase was also the biggest in seven months since December of last year.

By currency, dollar deposits rose $11.12 billion in one month to $108.92 billion, crossing the $100 billion mark for the first time. Euro deposits stood at $8.06 billion, up $2.22 billion from the previous month, the highest level in five months since the end of February. Yen deposits also increased by $1.5 billion to $8.61 billion, the largest increase on record. Euro and yen deposits were affected by deposits made by some companies for receiving current payments and paying dividends, as well as inflows of securities firms' foreign currency bond issuance funds.

By depositor type, corporate deposits reached $112.56 billion, up $13.57 billion, marking an all-time high. In particular, the balance of corporate dollar deposits stood at $95.69 billion, setting a record high for the third consecutive month. Individual deposits rose $1.44 billion to $15.77 billion.

By bank type, the balance of residents' foreign currency deposits at domestic banks increased $9.61 billion to $102.39 billion, while the balance at foreign bank branches rose $5.4 billion to $25.95 billion.

The Bank of Korea stated, "Dollar deposits increased significantly due to large companies receiving current payments, inflows of securities firms' foreign currency bond issuance funds and customer deposits, and advance purchases of dollars amid the exchange rate decline." Regarding yen deposits, it explained, "They increased due to deposits made by some companies for dividend payments and inflows of securities firms' foreign currency bond issuance funds."