[DigitalToday reporter Oh Sang-yup (오상엽)] Foreign investors net sold more than 47 trillion won of shares in South Korea’s stock market last month. They took profits mainly in large KOSPI stocks, but their ownership share hit a record high as prices of their holdings rose.

According to the Financial Supervisory Service’s “May 2026 Trends in Foreign Securities Investment” released on Thursday, foreigners net sold 47.0 trillion won of listed shares last month. Net selling by foreigners extended to five consecutive months.

By market, they net sold 49.0 trillion won in the main board market, while net buying 2.0 trillion won in the KOSDAQ market.

Cumulative net selling from January to May totalled 114.2 trillion won. That is more than 10 times last year’s annual net selling of 11.1 trillion won.

Despite the large-scale selling, foreigners’ holdings of South Korean listed shares stood at 2,852.3 trillion won at end-May, up 730.9 trillion won from a month earlier. Their share of total market capitalisation also hit a record high of 35.3 percent. Foreigners net sold shares, but prices rose in major stocks in which they have large ownership stakes.

By region, net selling was the largest in the Americas at 33.2 trillion won. Europe followed with 7.4 trillion won, the Middle East with 1.1 trillion won, and Asia with 100.0 billion won.

By country, U.S. investors net sold 28.9 trillion won. U.S. investors’ holdings of South Korean shares stood at 1,188.0 trillion won, accounting for 41.7 percent of total foreign holdings.

Canada also net sold 4.3 trillion won, while Norway and Hong Kong net bought 2.3 trillion won and 2.0 trillion won, respectively.

In the bond market, net investment extended to a second consecutive month. Foreigners net bought 11.7 trillion won of listed bonds last month and received 2.9 trillion won in redemptions, for net investment of 8.8 trillion won.

By type, net investment totalled 9.9 trillion won in government bonds, while 1.1 trillion won was net withdrawn from special bonds. Foreigners’ holdings of listed bonds stood at 333.6 trillion won at end-May, accounting for 11.7 percent of total listed bonds outstanding.