Foreign ownership hit a record 36.4% of market capitalization despite the biggest monthly equity outflow on record, while overseas investors extended net buying in listed bonds for a third month.
Foreign investors sold a record net 49.34 trillion won of South Korean listed stocks in June, extending net selling to a sixth straight month, while the value of their equity holdings rose to an all-time high of 2,908.64 trillion won and their ownership share climbed to a record 36.4% of total market capitalization. The Financial Supervisory Service said cumulative net stock sales reached 116.36 trillion won in the first half, more than ten times the 11.08 trillion won recorded for all of 2025. June selling was concentrated in the KOSPI, where foreigners were net sellers of 50.98 trillion won, while the KOSDAQ posted net buying of 1.64 trillion won. By region, Europe led equity selling with 30.76 trillion won, followed by the Americas with 26.96 trillion won, while Asia posted net buying of 2.6 trillion won. By country, the United Kingdom was the biggest seller at 32.2 trillion won, ahead of the United States at 23.18 trillion won, while the Cayman Islands was the largest buyer at 7.27 trillion won. Foreign investors remained net buyers of listed bonds, purchasing 13.9 trillion won and receiving 9.42 trillion won in maturities for a net investment of 4.48 trillion won, marking a third straight month of bond inflows. Officials later introduced additional market-stabilization measures in late July, including plans for a new sovereign wealth fund with an initial budget of at least 20 trillion won to invest in advanced and strategic industries.