Foreign investment in South Korea has jumped by over five-thousand-fold since the first investment was made in 1962.

In honor of Foreign Company Day on Tuesday, the trade ministry at a ceremony said that the country's first foreign direct investment(FDI) was registered by a local carmaker at a value of three million U.S. dollars, with total FDI that year hitting four million dollars.

Since then, the figure has surged to over 20 billion dollars recorded last year. This year's total FDI stands at over 18 billion dollars as of the third quarter.

Foreign-invested companies have now become an important pillar of the South Korean economy, taking up 12 percent of domestic profit, five percent of employment and over 19 percent of exports. 

Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo expressed gratitude to foreign firms, vowing to enhance communication with foreign investors and reform regulations to make South Korea an attractive investment destination.