The national pension fund said Thursday it has logged a 9.71 percent investment return over the first half of 2024, with profits from overseas stocks leading the overall gains. The National Pension Service (NPS) reported that its investment return for the January-June period came to 102.4 trillion won (US$76.8 billion), with the combined value of its funds under management standing at 1,147 trillion won. By investment destination, overseas stocks posted a return of 20.47 percent, followed by South Korean shares with 8.61 percent in the first half. Overseas bonds posted an investment return of 7.95 percent, while local bonds showed a comparable figure of 1.66 percent. "In the first half, U.S. tech shares showed strong performances, leading to a satisfactory investment return in domestic and overseas shares," the NPS said in a statement, noting that the strong U.S. dollar also lend a hand to the performance. Source: Yonhap News Agency