Foreign Investors Sold 43.5 Trillion Won in Korean Stocks Last Month... Net Sellers for Third Consecutive Month

by Cho Seulkina

Published 16 Apr.2026 06:00(KST)

Updated 16 Apr.2026 07:26(KST)

March Trends in Foreign Securities Investment

Amid escalating Middle East risks triggered by the war between the United States and Iran last month, foreign investors sold over 43 trillion won worth of domestic stocks. This marks a net selling streak for the third consecutive month.

According to the "Trends in Foreign Securities Investment for March," released by the Financial Supervisory Service on April 16, foreign investors recorded a net sale of 43.505 trillion won in listed stocks during March. This follows net sales of 980 billion won in January and 19.558 trillion won in February, making it three consecutive months of net selling.

Foreign Investors Sold 43.5 Trillion Won in Korean Stocks Last Month... Net Sellers for Third Consecutive Month

By market, foreigners net sold 43.888 trillion won in the KOSPI market and net purchased 384 billion won in the KOSDAQ market. As of the end of March, foreign investors held 1,576.2 trillion won in domestic stocks, accounting for 30.7% of the total market capitalization.

By region, there was a net purchase of 200 billion won from the Middle East, while net selling was observed from Europe (26.4 trillion won), the Americas (9.8 trillion won), and Asia (5.6 trillion won). By country, Qatar (500 billion won) and the Cayman Islands (300 billion won) were net buyers, while the United Kingdom (16.3 trillion won) and the United States (9.5 trillion won) were net sellers.

Regarding bonds, foreign investors shifted to net redemption. In March, foreigners net purchased 5.442 trillion won of listed bonds, but received 16.359 trillion won in matured redemptions, resulting in a total net redemption of 10.916 trillion won. Total bond holdings amounted to 323.8 trillion won, a decrease of 13.5 trillion won compared to the previous month.

By region, there was a net investment of 900 billion won from the Americas, while Asia (7 trillion won) and Europe (3.4 trillion won) saw net redemptions. In terms of holdings, Asia accounted for 131.2 trillion won (40.5%), followed by Europe with 120.8 trillion won (37.3%).