▲ This AFP photo shows trading numbers displayed at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) at the opening bell in New York on May 27, 2026. (Yonhap)

foreign securities-tally

Institutions' foreign securities holdings fall in Q1: BOK

SEOUL, June 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean institutions' investment in foreign securities fell for the first time in five quarters in the three months ending in March, weighed by weak overseas stock markets amid the Middle East conflict, central bank data showed Monday.

The outstanding value of foreign securities held by local institutional investors stood at US$503.33 billion as of end-March, down $4.26 billion from three months earlier, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK).

It marked the first on-quarter decline since the fourth quarter of 2024, when the balance fell $6.75 billion.

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 declined $4.01 billion on-quarter, while the value of their foreign bond holdings dropped $450 million over the cited period.

"Following a stock market correction caused by the war in the Middle East, losses from foreign stock investments outweighed increased net investment driven by bargain hunting," the BOK said.

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