South Korean retail investors have pushed a record $3.63 billion into overseas stocks during the first 14 days of November, beating last month’s total by more than 100 %. The Korea Securities Depository and the Korea Center for International Finance said the jump shows “aggressive” buying habits among local investors, according to a report from Yonhap News.
Most of the spending went to U.S. equities, but buyers also added about $180 million in European shares, $170 million in Hong Kong, and $150 million in Chinese stocks. Meanwhile, Japanese stocks saw a net sell‑off of $350 million. A key highlight was a $560 million purchase of Meta Platforms shares, as investors bet on a rebound after the company’s sharp drop earlier in the month toward the $600 level.
The surge in foreign buying comes as foreign investors pull back on home‑market trades. The Korea Exchange said overseas sellers racked up net sales of 9.12 trillion won on the KOSPI, reflecting a large‑scale profit‑taking wave.
In October, retail investors hit a new high, buying a net $6.81 billion of foreign stocks—almost 2½ times the $2.77 billion sold the month before. U.S. shares dominated that month too, making up $6.85 billion of purchases. The biggest driver was a $1.62 billion jump in AI and tech stocks in September to $3.25 billion in October, which accounted for roughly 47.4 % of all U.S. buying.
These figures show South Korean retail investors are turning to overseas markets—especially U.S. tech and AI—while foreign players increasingly divest from domestic shares, reshaping the trading landscape in Seoul and beyond.
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