Foreign investors last month returned to a net buying position by purchasing domestic stocks worth approximately KRW 1.5 trillion. Shown are the closing share prices of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix on Jan. 6 at the dealing room of Woori Bank in Seoul's Jung-gu District. (Yonhap News)

By Kim Seon Ah

Foreign investors last month returned to a net buying position by purchasing domestic stocks worth approximately KRW 1.5 trillion.

The Financial Supervisory Service on Jan. 9 said in a report on foreign stock investment for December 2025 that such investors net bought KRW 1.52 trillion worth of domestic shares.

By market, the main stock index KOSPI had foreign net purchases worth KRW 1.67 trillion and the secondary market KOSDAQ saw KRW 149 billion.

Europe led all markets in net purchases with KRW 1.6 trillion, followed by the Americas with KRW 400 billion and Asia KRW 300 billion. By country, investors from France made the largest net purchases with KRW 1 trillion, followed those from the U.K. with KRW 800 billion.

As of Dec. 31, the value of foreign-owned listed stocks was KRW 1,326.8 trillion, or 30.8% of market capitalization.

Foreign investment was also brisk on the bond market. Such investors made net purchases of KRW 17.52 trillion and earned KRW 9.64 trillion in maturity repayments for net investment of KRW 7.88 trillion.

Europe also led all regions in net bond investment with KRW 2.5 trillion, followed by the Americas with KRW 1.7 trillion and Asia KRW 1.1 trillion. By type, government bonds took the largest proportion with KRW 3.7 trillion. followed by monetary stabilization bonds with KRW 1.9 trillion.

Foreign investors held domestically listed bonds worth a combined KRW 328.55 trillion, or 11.9% of the overall listed balance.

sofiakim218@korea.kr