S.Korean banks' capital adequacy ratio remains high in Q1

South Korean banks' capital adequacy ratio remained high in the first quarter due to the growth in both capital and risk assets, financial watchdog data showed Wednesday.

The total capital ratio of 28 banks, bank holding companies and Internet-only banks under the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) framework averaged 15.52 percent at the end of March, slightly down from 15.53 percent recorded three months earlier, according to the Financial Supervisory Service.

The ratio, a barometer of financial soundness, gauges the proportion of a bank's capital to the risk-weighted assets. Banks are required to maintain the ratio above 10.5 percent.

The risk-weighted assets increased 2.6 percent during the January-March quarter, while capital and earnings gained 2.5 percent.

The tier-1 capital ratio, which measures common stock capital and retained earnings, added 0.04 percentage points from three months earlier to 14.22 percent at the end of March.

The common equity tier-1 capital ratio, or the proportion of common equity to risk-weighted assets, was unchanged at 12.99 percent in the three-month period.

Banks are required to keep the tier-1 capital ratio and the common equity tier-1 capital ratio above 8.5 percent and 7.0 percent respectively.