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Foreign investors sell record-high net $29.78 billion in Korean stocks in March

Published: 09 Apr. 2026, 16:22

Korean 50,000-won bills are stacked inside a bank in Seoul on Oct. 24, 2022. [YONHAP]

Foreign sell-offs of Korean stocks hit a record high in March amid escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, according to central bank data released Thursday.

Offshore investors sold a net $29.78 billion of local stocks last month, following net sales of $13.5 billion in February, according to data from the Bank of Korea (BOK).

The March figure marked an all-time monthly high and a third consecutive month of net selling by foreigners.

In the first three months of the year, foreigners sold $43.33 billion worth of Korean stocks, according to the data.

In the bond market, foreign investors netted $6.77 billion in bond sales last month, ending their four-month net-buying streak.

Taken together, foreigners sold a net $36.55 billion of local equities in March, also a record high, following net selling of $7.76 billion the previous month.

"Foreigners have been maintaining their profit-taking mode, and the risk-off sentiment caused by the growing geopolitical risks further fueled selling," a BOK official said.

Yonhap