▲ This file photo taken July 11, 2026, shows SK hynix's advertisement celebrating its Nasdaq debut on screens in Times Square, New York City. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean institutions' investment in foreign securities rose sharply to a fresh record high in the second quarter, driven by strong overseas stock markets, central bank data showed Tuesday.

The outstanding value of foreign securities held by local institutional investors stood at a record US$549.68 billion as of end-June, up $46.72 billion from three months earlier, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK).

The figure topped the previous record of $507.83 billion set in the fourth quarter of last year.

Foreign securities include stocks, bonds and "Korean paper," which refers to foreign currency-denominated securities issued by the South Korean government, banks or companies in overseas markets.

By type, local institutions' investment in foreign stocks rose $45.76 billion on-quarter to $334.27, while the value of their foreign bond holdings remained unchanged at $181.85.

The BOK said valuations of their stock holdings increased thanks to rallies in stock markets in major economies in the three-month period.

The Nasdaq Composite Index jumped 21.4 percent and the S&P 500 rose 14.9 percent over the cited period, while the Japanese Nikkei 225 soared 37.2 percent.

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