Offshore investors remained net buyers of South Korean stocks for a third consecutive month in February, government data showed on March 18.

Foreign investors bought a net 1.64 trillion won ($1.44 million) worth of local stocks last month, according to data from the Financial Supervisory Service, compared with net buying of 3.74 trillion won a month earlier. 

Investors from the Virgin Islands, Luxembourg and Britain were among the net buyers of local stocks last month, the data showed.

At the end of February, foreign investors held a total of 563.7 trillion won worth of local stocks, accounting for 32.1 percent of the nation’s total market capitalization.

However, foreigners sold a net 1.86 trillion won worth of local bonds last month.

Foreigners’ holdings of local debt stood at 109.9 trillion won at the end of last month, accounting for 6.3 percent of the total market.

By Ram Garikipati and newswires (ram@heraldcorp.com)