Foreign investors bought a net 344 billion won ($248 million) in South Korean stocks in August, ending months of selling and becoming net buyers for the first time in eight months, the Financial Supervisory Service said on the 18th. They purchased 1.888 trillion won on the KOSPI and sold 1.545 trillion won on the KOSDAQ. Investors from the Americas were net buyers of 13.4 trillion won, while those from Europe, Asia and the Middle East sold on a net basis. Foreign investors held 2,280.6 trillion won of Korean stocks at the end of August, equal to 34.8% of total market capitalization, with U.S. investors holding the largest regional share at 999.7 trillion won. In bonds, foreigners recorded net withdrawals of 4.736 trillion won, including 3.935 trillion won in net sales and 801 billion won in maturing redemptions. Their Korean bond holdings fell 5.8 trillion won from July to 330.3 trillion won.