On August 13, South Korea's central bank purchased gold-related assets for the first time in 13 years to hedge against geopolitical and economic uncertainties. According to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the central bank held 679,765 shares of SPDR Gold Shares, valued at approximately $250 million, as of the end of the second quarter. The document indicated that three months prior, the bank did not hold any shares in the world's largest physically-backed gold ETF. The central bank stated that this investment marks its first purchase of gold-linked assets since 2013. This purchase will not increase the bank's official gold reserves, as gold ETFs are classified as securities and are part of foreign exchange reserves. Choi Kyuho, an economist at Hanwha Investment & Securities, noted, 'The current allocation of gold by the South Korean central bank is relatively low. From the perspective of aligning with global standards, there is still room for the central bank to further purchase gold. I believe they will gradually increase their gold holdings.' (Jin Shi)