South Korean retail investors shifted back into gold in August as international prices rebounded from their June trough, lifting bank gold-account balances, exchange buying and gold bar sales in tandem. Gold banking balances at KB Kookmin, Shinhan and Woori rose to 1.81 trillion won as of Aug. 13 from 1.73 trillion won at the end of July, the first month-on-month increase since January, while retail investors bought a net 133 billion won on the Korea Exchange's KRX Gold Market after three straight months of net selling. The five major banks sold about 15.6 billion won of gold bars from Aug. 1-13, about 20% above July's daily pace. Support for sentiment came from a roughly 12% rebound in spot gold to $4,417.24 an ounce on Aug. 17, easing concern over further U.S. rate hikes, and the Bank of Korea's resumption of physical gold purchases alongside a $250.41 million end-Q2 holding in SPDR Gold Shares.