國際英語資訊:Foreigners continue to dump S. Korean stocks on geopolitical risks

SEOUL, Oct. 16 -- Foreign investors continued to sell South Korean stocks last month on remaining worry about geopolitical risks of the Korean Peninsula, financial watchdog data showed Monday.

Foreigners sold locally listed stocks worth 1.1 trillion won (976 million U.S. dollars) in September, after dumping 2.42 trillion won worth of shares in the previous month, according to the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS).

The continued sales came amid the lingering concerns about the heightened tensions on the peninsula following the DPRK's sixth nuclear test and missile launches as well as the resumed war of rhetoric between Pyongyang and Washington.

U.S. and French investors were net buyers last month in the local stock market, but Singaporean, British and Cayman Islands investors offloaded shares worth 483 billion won, 390 billion won and 332 billion won each.

Foreign holdings of locally listed stocks amounted to 613.3 trillion won as of end-September, accounting for 33.7 percent of the total market capitalization.

Domestic stocks, held by U.S. investors, stood at 255.5 trillion won, taking up 41.7 percent of the foreign ownership. It was followed by European investors with 28.6 percent and Asian investors with 12.0 percent. ( 1 dollar = 1,126.9 won)