The value of South Korean stocks held by foreign investors nearly doubled in 2025 compared to the previous year. This surge was driven by an unprecedented stock rally led by semiconductors, with U.S. investors holding the largest share.
As of the end of December 2025, foreign investors held South Korean stocks worth a total of 1,326.8 trillion won ($918.3 billion), marking a 96.9 percent increase from 673.7 trillion won at the end of 2024, according to data from the Financial Securities Service (FSS). This rise was largely due to a sharp increase in the value of local shares, with the country's total market capitalization surging more than 77 percent to 3,478 trillion won from 1,963 trillion won over the year. The rally was led by semiconductors.
Despite netting sales of 9.2 trillion won in local shares during 2025, the value of holdings grew significantly. By country, U.S. investors held the largest portion at 546 trillion won, more than doubling from 272 trillion won a year earlier. Investors from Britain and Singapore followed with 144 trillion won and 88 trillion won, respectively.
British investors were the most active traders, with transactions totaling 1,031 trillion won over the period, accounting for 46.2 percent of all offshore trades in South Korea. This data highlights the international appeal of the Korean stock market amid the ongoing rally.
