Meritz Securities

What Meritz Securities does

Meritz Securities is a South Korean retail brokerage subsidiary of Meritz Financial Group, operating as one of the country's leading mobile trading and investment platforms. The firm traces its lineage through multiple predecessor entities, including Hanjin Investment Securities (renamed Meritz Securities in 2000) and Meritz Capital Securities (renamed in April 2020), and became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Meritz Financial Group through a comprehensive stock exchange in April 2023. Meritz Securities serves individual retail investors, high-net-worth clients (7,000+ in a tracked HNW segment), and institutional counterparties through a comprehensive product suite spanning brokerage commissions, margin lending, investment banking, wealth management, and exchange-traded notes. The firm competes directly with Hana Securities, NH Investment & Securities, KB Securities, and Mirae Asset Securities in South Korea's mobile trading system (MTS) market.

The company's core technology stack centers on its proprietary MTS platform enhanced with AI integration developed in partnership with WNSTN. The next-generation AI-powered digital investment platform, launched in early 2026, supports real-time client inquiries, delivers investment knowledge at scale, and enables regulatory-aligned interactions across multiple digital channels. Meritz Securities distributes products through its proprietary mobile app (imeritz), web platform, and direct brokerage services for institutional clients. The platform incorporates content, community, and AI features to compete for retail market share in a market where individual investor trading values reached 334.7 trillion KRW in Q1 2026—a 2.26x increase year-over-year.

Meritz Securities generates revenue through transaction fees (brokerage commissions), interest-based margin lending, professional services fees (investment banking), and subscription/recurring wealth management revenue. The firm recorded 766.3 billion KRW in consolidated net income in 2025, a 10% year-over-year increase, and tightened margin lending rules alongside peers to manage systemic risk amid record South Korean retail margin debt of 38 trillion KRW. In May 2026, Meritz Securities raised nearly 20 billion KRW from its internal investment arm to strengthen the balance sheet and fund expansion into investment banking and wealth management. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Meritz Financial Group, which reported record consolidated net income of 2.35 trillion KRW and consolidated assets of 135.4 trillion KRW in 2025, the firm benefits from group-level capital, regulatory compliance infrastructure, and cross-selling opportunities across Meritz Fire Insurance, Meritz Capital, and Meritz Alternative Investment Management.

Name

Meritz Securities

Legal name

주식회사 메리츠금융지주 (Meritz Financial Group Inc.)

Website

https://meritz.co.kr

Company type

Public

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Meritz Securities is a South Korean retail brokerage subsidiary of Meritz Financial Group, serving individual and high-net-worth investors through mobile trading, margin lending, investment banking, and wealth management. It was the first major Korean financial institution to deploy WNSTN's infrastructure-grade AI capabilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Securities Brokerage

NAICS

Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage (5231), Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523), Securities and Commodity Exchanges (523210)

SIC

Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Banking Lending (Securities-Backed, Real Estate, Structured Credit) (FSABADAE)

Keywords

• Retail brokerage services
• Securities trading platform
• Investment banking services
• Wealth management advisory
• Margin lending services

Headquarters

HQ city

Yongdungpo

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Brokerage Commissions and Trading Fees: Core brokerage revenue from commissions and trading fees generated through retail investor trading activities on the Meritz Securities platform. Meritz Securities is a leading retail trading platform in South Korea, serving individual investors trading significant volumes.
2. Margin Lending: Revenue generated from margin debt services provided to retail investors. South Korean retail investors' margin debt reached a record 38 trillion won, with Samsung Electronics and SK hynix accounting for 9.1 trillion won combined. Meritz Securities tightened margin lending rules to manage escalating risks.
3. Investment Banking: Meritz Securities raised nearly 20 billion KRW in funding from its own investment arm to strengthen its balance sheet and support growth initiatives and expand into higher-margin businesses such as investment banking.
4. Wealth Management: Meritz Securities targets high-net-worth clients, with over 7,000 wealthy investors collectively purchasing net 375.3 billion won of SK hynix and 350.9 billion won of Samsung Electronics between December and end of May, indicating wealth management advisory and execution services.
5. ETN Products: Meritz Securities launched Silver Total Return Leveraged ETNs alongside KB Securities, Korea Investment Securities, and Samsung Securities using Solactive's Silver Total Return Leveraged Index, providing leveraged and inverse exposure to silver futures.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Meritz Securities is a South Korean securities brokerage firm operating as a leading retail trading and investment platform, offering brokerage commissions, margin lending, investment banking, and wealth management services to retail and high-net-worth investors. The company distributes its products through a proprietary Mobile Trading System (MTS) and an AI-powered next-generation digital investment platform developed in partnership with WNSTN. Meritz Securities is a wholly-owned subsidiary of publicly listed Meritz Financial Group and competes in South Korea's MTS market alongside KB Securities, Mirae Asset, NH Investment & Securities, and Hana Securities.

Product overview

Meritz Securities is the brokerage subsidiary of Meritz Financial Group (메리츠금융그룹), operating as one of South Korea's leading retail trading and investment platforms. The company offers a mobile trading system (MTS) with AI integration developed in partnership with WNSTN, margin lending services, and specialty investment products including Silver Total Return Leveraged ETNs. Meritz Securities competes in the competitive Korean brokerage market, serving individual investors trading on the Kospi index while implementing advanced AI capabilities for client engagement, operational efficiency, and regulatory compliance across multiple digital channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Merrydoll (메리치): Merrydoll is the mascot character family of Meritz Fire Insurance, consisting of six worry dolls named Merry, Eco, Rara, Indi, Tata, and Ziziry. They represent the brand message 'We'll take care of your worries, just be happy'.
• MonDi (몬디)

Products and services

• AI-Powered Digital Investment Platform (Meritz Securities x WNSTN) Next-generation AI-powered digital investment platform developed with WNSTN that supports real-time client inquiries, delivers investment knowledge at scale, and enables regulatory-aligned interactions across multiple digital channels for South Korean retail investors.
• Mobile Trading System (MTS) Mobile trading platform for South Korean retail investors that supports equity trading and is being upgraded with AI, content, and community features to compete for brokerage market share.
• Silver Total Return Leveraged ETNs Exchange-traded notes providing leveraged and inverse exposure to silver futures within a total return framework, based on Solactive's Silver Total Return Leveraged Index family, listed on Korea Exchange for retail and institutional investors.
• Retail Trading and Investment Services Retail brokerage services for individual investors trading Korean equities and related instruments, providing execution, account management, and access to investment products through the Meritz Securities platform.
• Margin Lending Services Margin financing services provided to retail investors to support leveraged equity trading, with Meritz Securities tightening lending rules to manage escalating risks during periods of record retail margin debt.

Quantifiable outcome

• Individual investors' trading value reached 334.7 trillion won in Q1 2026, up 2.26x from the prior year, demonstrating the scale of retail trading activity on Korean brokerage platforms including Meritz Securities.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• SolactiveflagshipTechnology or Integration · 5 March 2026Solactive, an index provider, partnered with Meritz Securities alongside KB Securities, Korea Investment Securities, and Samsung Securities to launch Silver Total Return Leveraged ETNs based on Solactive's Silver Total Return Leveraged Index family. The ETNs provide leveraged and inverse exposure to silver futures within a total return framework, launching on March 6, 2026 on Korea Exchange.
• WNSTNcoreTechnology or Integration · 6 January 2026WNSTN, a global AI-powered financial intelligence provider, partnered with Meritz Securities to integrate its AI technology into Meritz's next-generation digital investment platform. Meritz became the first major Korean financial institution to deploy WNSTN's infrastructure-grade AI capabilities designed to enhance client engagement, operational efficiency, and regulatory compliance. The integrated platform launched in early 2026.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NH Investment & Securities: Major Korean broker affiliated with NongHyup, competing directly in MTS upgrades, margin lending, and retail brokerage. Identified alongside Meritz as a key player actively overhauling its mobile trading platform with AI and content features.
• Samsung Securities: Securities affiliate of the Samsung Group with a large retail and institutional brokerage franchise. Co-launched Silver Total Return Leveraged ETNs with Meritz and competes in MTS, margin lending, and IB across Korean markets.
• KB Securities: Securities arm of KB Financial Group, one of Korea's largest financial groups. Co-launched Silver Total Return Leveraged ETNs with Meritz via Solactive, and competes directly in retail brokerage, margin lending, and IB.
• Mirae Asset Securities: One of South Korea's largest retail and institutional brokerages, competing head-to-head with Meritz in the Korean MTS arms race and in margin lending, wealth management, and ETN issuance. Operates as part of Mirae Asset Financial Group with comparable retail brokerage and IB franchises.
• Kiwoom Securities: Korean retail-focused broker historically known for its technology-forward HTS platform. Direct competitor to Meritz in mobile trading, retail brokerage, and online-first brokerage distribution.
• Shinhan Investment: Securities arm of Shinhan Financial Group, one of Korea's largest financial groups. Competes with Meritz in retail brokerage, margin lending, wealth management, and IB across Korean capital markets.
• Woori Investment Bank: Investment banking and securities affiliate of Woori Financial Group. Competes with Meritz in Korean IB, brokerage, and structured products, and serves as a comparable publicly listed Korean financial group subsidiary.
• Korea Investment & Securities: One of Korea's largest and oldest securities firms with a broad retail, institutional, and IB platform. Co-launched Silver Total Return Leveraged ETNs with Meritz and is a direct competitor across brokerage, margin lending, and structured products.
• Hana Securities (Hana Financial Investment): Securities arm of Hana Financial Group and direct Korean retail and institutional brokerage peer. Currently under simultaneous NTS tax investigation alongside Meritz, with overlapping MTS, margin lending, and IB offerings.

Emerging players

• Interactive Brokers: Global multi-asset online broker with an advanced trading platform that competes for sophisticated Korean retail and HNW clients. Comparable to Meritz as a technology-led brokerage, though it does not currently compete directly inside the Korean domestic market in the same way local MTS players do.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/meritz-securities

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments23 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Meritz Securities