Foreign investors have posted a net sale of around 9 trillion won ($6.2 billion) on South Korea's main bourse this year through last week. Analysts attribute the selling to cashing in on recent gains, particularly in chipmakers like Samsung Electronics. The benchmark KOSPI closed at an all-time high on Friday.
Foreign investors have sold a net 9.1 trillion won worth of shares on the main bourse in 2026 as of Friday, according to data from the Korea Exchange (KRX). This compares to a net sale of 4.6 trillion won for all of 2025. In particular, they offloaded a net 9.5 trillion won in Samsung Electronics shares, whose stock has soared 59 percent this year and surpassed the 190,000-won mark for the first time on Thursday.
Analysts indicated that the sales appear aimed at cashing in on recent gains rather than reflecting a pessimistic outlook on the South Korean stock market. "Foreigners were net sellers on the main bourse this year, but it is hard to say they are betting on a downward trend," said Lee Kyoung-min, a researcher at Daishin Securities. "Considering that their selling was centered on chipmakers, it appears to be a short-term rebalancing process aimed at reducing the portion of shares that have gained sharply," Lee added.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 131.28 points, or 2.31 percent, on Friday to close at an all-time high of 5,803.53.
