What KB Asset Management Co., Ltd. does

KB Asset Management Co., Ltd. is a Seoul-based asset management firm and 100% wholly-owned subsidiary of KB Financial Group, one of Korea's largest financial conglomerates. Founded in 1988 and headquartered in the Three IFC building in Yeouido, the company manages approximately 175 trillion KRW (as of December 31, 2025) across a diversified product platform that includes equity, fixed income, and mixed mutual funds; ETFs under the RISE ETF and KBSTAR brands; target-date and target-income retirement funds; defined-benefit, defined-contribution, and individual retirement pension products; a publicly listed REIT (KBSTAR REIT); Korea's first domestically-listed infrastructure fund (KB 발해인프라, listed December 2024); outsourced CIO (OCIO) mandates in stable, growth, and aggressive profiles; and the MYPORT direct indexing solution. The firm serves both retail investors (accumulation and retirement phases) and institutional clients, with a notable May 2020 selection as alternative investment manager for Korea's National Health Insurance Service.

KB Asset Management generates revenue primarily through recurring management fees on its fund products (operating management fees typically ranging from 0.135% to 0.495% annually), supplemented by sales commissions and other charges that bring total expense ratios to between 0.36% and 0.90% depending on product. Distribution is anchored within the KB Financial Group ecosystem—primarily KB Bank (Korea's largest bank) and KB Securities—with additional sales through Shinhan Bank, NH Investment & Securities, Hana Securities, Woori Bank, and other third-party distributors, as well as direct online purchase via the kbam.co.kr platform featuring fund calculators, comparison tools, and portfolio builders. The company also operates an AI-based robo-advisor for comprehensive discretionary account management, classified as a high-impact AI service under Korean regulation and live since October 2025.

Internationally, KB Asset Management maintains wholly-owned offices in Singapore (established September 2017), Shanghai (August 2018), and Vietnam (September 2019), and employs 392 staff across specialized investment divisions including AI/Quant, LDI, Infrastructure, ETF, and Index/Quant. Reported 2025 operating revenue of 291,479 million KRW (up 35% year-over-year from 215,271 million KRW in 2024) and net income of 115,035 million KRW reflect the operating leverage typical of asset management; AUM milestones include surpassing 140 trillion KRW in January 2024 and ETF net assets exceeding 20 trillion KRW in October 2025.

Name

KB Asset Management Co., Ltd.

Legal name

KB자산운용주식회사 (KB Asset Management Co., Ltd.)

Website

https://kbam.co.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Short description

KB Asset Management Co., Ltd. is a Seoul-based wholly-owned subsidiary of KB Financial Group that manages approximately 175 trillion KRW across mutual funds, ETFs, pension funds, REITs, and listed infrastructure funds, distributing primarily through Korea's KB Bank and KB Securities network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Asset Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Open-End Investment Funds (52591), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Advisory Portfolio Management (Non-Discretionary) (FSAAABAD)

Keywords

• Asset management services
• Investment fund management
• Retirement pension funds
• ETF products
• Alternative investments

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fund Management Fees: KB Asset Management charges management fees (운용보수) on its managed funds. Fee rates vary by fund type, typically ranging from 0.135% to 0.495% annually for operating management. Additional fees include sales commissions (판매보수) and other charges (기타보수).
2. Operating Revenue: Total operating revenue of 291,479 million KRW for 2025, showing consistent growth from 215,271 million KRW in 2024 and 181,721 million KRW in 2023.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

KB Asset Management is a Seoul-based asset management firm offering professionally managed investment funds across equity, fixed income, mixed-asset, alternative assets, ETFs, pension funds (TDF, TIF, DB/DC, IRP), OCIO solutions, and a robo-advisor service for individual and institutional investors in Korea. The company manages approximately 175 trillion KRW in AUM and distributes products through KB Bank, KB Securities, and a network of third-party banks/securities firms plus direct online sales.

Product overview

KB Asset Management operates as a fund management company within KB Financial Group, managing a broad portfolio of investment funds and pension solutions. The core product is the fund management platform itself — KB투자신탁 (KB Investment Trust) — which encompasses multiple fund families and delivery channels (online, offline, direct). The product portfolio is organized into: (1) Equity/index ETFs under the RISE ETF brand (including KB스타 미국 나스닥 100 인덱스, KB스타 유로 인덱스), (2) alternative investments including KBSTAR REIT and the listed KB 발해인프라 infrastructure fund, (3) retirement solutions including KB 온국민 TDF (Target Date Funds for different retirement years), KB 온국민 평생소득 TIF (Target Income Funds for the withdrawal phase, TIF 20 and TIF 40), 개인연금펀드, and 퇴직연금펀드, (4) OCIO solutions (KB 타겟리턴 series in stable/growth/aggressive profiles), and (5) advanced services including the MYPORT direct indexing platform. The platform is accessible via the main website for fund search, comparison, calculator, and portfolio tools, with AI-powered robo-advisory capabilities for autonomous investing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RISE ETF: ETF brand launched in July 2024
• KBSTAR ETF
• KBSTAR REIT
• KB발해인프라
• MYPORT

Products and services

• KB스타 미국 나스닥 100 인덱스 (KBSTAR US Nasdaq 100 Index ETF) An index ETF tracking the US Nasdaq 100, providing exposure to leading US IT companies driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Total annual fee 0.900%.
• KB스타 유로 인덱스 (KBSTAR Euro Index) A European equity index fund providing efficient and accessible investment exposure to European markets.
• RISE ETF (브랜드) Proprietary ETF brand by KB Asset Management covering equity index products across major markets, launched in July 2024.
• KBSTAR REIT Real estate investment trust (REIT) listed product managed by KB Asset Management through its wholly-owned subsidiary KB스타리츠.
• KB 발해인프라 (KB Infrastructure Fund) Korea's first domestically-issued listed infrastructure fund, providing investors access to the infrastructure asset class. Managed by KB Asset Management's subsidiary KB 발해인프라.
• KB 온국민 TDF 2020 (KB 온국민 Target Date Fund 2020) Target Date Fund designed for retirement around 2020; automatically adjusts portfolio allocation as the target date approaches. Total annual fee 0.360%.
• KB 온국민 적격TDF 2025 Target Date Fund (eligible/적격 type) designed for retirement around 2025 with automatic asset allocation adjustment as the target date approaches.
• KB 온국민 평생소득 TIF 20 (KB 온국민 Lifetime Income Target Income Fund 20) Target Income Fund with 20% equity allocation designed for retirees in the post-retirement phase, preserving capital and managing longevity risk.
• KB 온국민 평생소득 TIF 40 Target Income Fund with 37.5% equity / 62.5% bond allocation designed for the withdrawal phase of retirement, providing regular income. Total annual fee 0.605%.
• 개인연금펀드 (Personal Pension Fund) Individual pension savings fund offering tax benefits on contributions up to KRW 6 million annually, with tax-deferred growth and low-rate separation taxation upon receipt.
• 퇴직연금펀드 (Retirement Pension Fund) Corporate retirement pension fund covering DB (Defined Benefit), DC (Defined Contribution), and IRP (Individual Retirement Pension) schemes for corporate employees.
• MYPORT (다이렉트인덱싱 솔루션) Direct indexing solution launched in April 2023 enabling personalized index portfolio management with tax-loss harvesting and customization for individual investors.
• KB 타겟리턴 안정형 OCIO Outsourced CIO solution providing active asset allocation and efficient risk management with a stable risk profile.
• KB 타겟리턴 성장형 OCIO Outsourced CIO solution with a growth-oriented allocation strategy and active asset allocation for institutional/pension clients.
• KB 타겟리턴 적극형 OCIO Aggressive OCIO solution with higher equity allocation targeting growth-oriented outcomes for institutional/pension clients.
• KB 온국민 매달받는 평생소득 Fund designed for post-retirement asset management providing regular monthly income distributions to retirees.
• KB 글로벌 대표자산 분산 (H) Global diversified fund investing in international equities and bonds to seek stable returns.
• KB 디움 다이나믹 자산배분 Simple diversified investment fund with dynamic asset allocation aimed at building solid pension preparation.
• KB DWS 멀티에셋 와이즈 리턴 Multi-asset fund investing across various asset classes (in partnership with DWS) to seek stable long-term returns.
• KB 드림스타 자산배분 Fund using market-tracking strategies via representative index investments across asset classes.
• KB 온국민 평생소득 40 Target Income Fund variant with 40-series allocation for post-retirement income generation.
• 로보어바이저 (Robo-Advisor) AI-powered comprehensive discretionary account management service that uses AI to manage investments, classified as a high-impact AI service and in operation since October 2025.

Quantifiable outcome

• Total AUM of 175 trillion KRW as of December 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• KB금융지주 (KB Financial Group)coreOthersKB Asset Management is a wholly-owned subsidiary of KB Financial Group (100% owned by KB Financial Holdings). The company operates within the KB Financial Group ecosystem, leveraging the group's extensive customer base, branch network, and brand strength.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Samsung Asset Management: Largest Korean asset manager by AUM and operator of the KODEX ETF brand, the dominant Korean passive franchise. Directly comparable as a domestic full-service asset manager competing for retail, pension, and institutional mandates.
• Mirae Asset Global Investments: Major Korean asset manager operating the TIGER ETF brand and managing one of Korea's largest mutual fund complexes. Direct competitor across active mutual funds, ETFs, and pension products with similar scale.
• Korea Investment Management: Affiliated with Korea Investment Holdings, this is a long-standing Korean asset manager with strong institutional and retail fund franchises. Direct competitor in equity, fixed income, and alternative mandates.
• NH-Amundi Asset Management: Joint venture between NH Financial Group and Amundi, offering a full suite of Korean mutual funds and ETFs. Comparable as a top-tier Korean AM with both domestic and global asset management capabilities.
• Hanwha Asset Management: Mid-to-large Korean asset manager affiliated with Hanwha Group, competing across mutual funds and ETF categories. Comparable in product breadth and Korean retail/institutional distribution.
• Shinhan Asset Management: Asset management arm of Shinhan Financial Group, one of KB AM's main bank-channel competitors. Direct comparable in leveraging a major Korean banking group for fund distribution and OCIO mandates.

Emerging players

• DWS Group: Global asset manager partnered with KB AM on multi-asset products (e.g., KB DWS 멀티에셋 와이즈 리밸런싱). Comparable as a global AM with Korean distribution via partnership, competing for cross-border mandates.

Broad incumbents

• Amundi: European asset management leader with established Korean footprint via the NH-Amundi JV. Comparable as a broad incumbent operating in Korea through partnerships and direct institutional presence.
• BlackRock: Global asset management leader with growing presence in Korean institutional and ETF markets (iShares). Relevant broad incumbent competing for global equity mandates and passive flows in Korea.

Regional players

• Nomura Asset Management: Japan-based asset manager with Asian regional reach, competing for cross-border Asia-Pacific mandates. Comparable as a regional player with broader product and geographic scope than purely domestic Korean AMs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCk9YkQ9oeOwyUyV5CBAMgZg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about KB Asset Management Co., Ltd.