The outflows spanned both of the country's major equity markets. Investors sold 1.12 trillion won on the benchmark KOSPI and an additional 513 billion won on the tech-heavy KOSDAQ.
Singapore-based investors led the retreat, divesting 2.6 trillion won worth of shares, followed by Norwegian investors, who sold off 600 billion won.
Despite the broader trend, not all foreign investors turned away from the South Korean market. British investors purchased 700 billion won in stocks, while their American counterparts added 600 billion won, offering a counterpoint to the prevailing sell-off.
As of the end of March, foreign investors held 703.9 trillion won in South Korean equities, representing 27.3 percent of total market capitalization.
In contrast to their stock market activity, foreign investors increased their presence in the Korean bond market, funneling a net 5.87 trillion won into bonds in March — their second consecutive month of net investment.
Asian investors accounted for the largest share of bond inflows, purchasing 2.9 trillion won. Investors from the Middle East and the United States followed with 800 billion won and 400 billion won, respectively.
By category, foreign investors showed a clear preference for government bonds, with net purchases totaling 4.6 trillion won. They also added 1.2 trillion won in monetary stabilization bonds. Overall, foreign holdings of listed bonds rose to 278.6 trillion won by the end of March, representing 10.6 percent of the total bond market.
reporter
Kim Dong-young
davekim0807@ajupress.com
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