South Korea's financial watchdog said Tuesday that it has reclaimed 436-point-four billion won worth of public funds in the second quarter of the year after the money was provided in assistance of struggling companies.

According to the The Financial Services Commission(FSC), the government has recouped 363 billion won of public funds between April and June, including 341-point-four billion won investment it put into stocks of marginal companies.

It also gained 73-point-four billion won in profit during the same period from the management of stocks of ailing companies.  

The government has injected 168-point-seven trillion won of public funds into the local financial system since November 1997 in the wake of the Asian financial crisis, and as of June this year, it has recollected 112-point-one trillion won, or 66-point-five percent.

Created by taxpayers’ money, public funds have been used to pay off debts owed by financial companies or injected for their restructuring and thus enhance their fiscal soundness.

The FSC has managed these bailout funds through partnerships with other public financial institutions, such as the KDIC, the Korea Asset Management Corporation(Kamco), and the Bank of Korea.