From PULSE

Foreigners pushed up their holdings of Korean debt to fresh record in June, while continuing to cash out of Korean stocks. 

According to the Financial Supervisory Service on Monday, non-Korean nationals net sold 420 billion won ($350 million) worth of Korean shares last month, keeping up net sale for five months in a row since the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Investors from the Unites States sold off 2.5 trillion won worth, those from Ireland 500 billion won, and Australia 400 billion won. Investors from the United Kingdom net purchased 1.7 trillion won worth, from the Cayman Islands 800 billion won, and Singapore 700 billion won. 

Foreign holdings in Korean stocks reached 541.6 trillion won as of the end of June, gaining 21 trillion won from the previous month to take up 30.9 percent of the total market capitalization. 

Americans held the largest amount of Korean shares worth 226.9 trillion won, accounting for 41.9 percent of the total foreign ownership. They were followed by Europeans with 158.5 trillion won (29.3 percent), Asians with 71.7 trillion won (13.2 percent), and investors from the Middle East with 21.1 trillion won (3.9 percent). 

Offshore investors kept up avid appetite for Korean debt in June. They gobbled up 3.44 trillion won worth bonds and their ownership rose to a new record 146.6 trillion won as of the end of last month. 

Investors from Asia bought 3.3 trillion won worth and from America 60 billion won. Those from the Middle East and Europe sold 300 billion won worth each.

By Lee Ha-yeon

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