Foreign investment funds invested in Korean equities have nearly doubled from a decade ago to top 20,000, with American nationalities owning 41.4 percent of Korean shares, data showed.

According to data released by Financial Supervisory Service on Monday, a total of 21,328 foreign funds are registered in Korea as of the end March, up 112.7 percent from 10 years ago. Fund took up 62.3 percent of total 34,208 non-Korean institutions with interest in the Korean stocks. Pensions came next numbering at 2,250, securities firms at 976, banks at 721, and insurance firms at 503. Individual traders totaled 11,200.

Among foreign investors, the number of brokerage houses jumped 70.9 percent over a decade, insurers 48.8 percent, pension funds 43.9 percent, and banks 31.3 percent. Retail investors expanded 61.6 percent.

Foreign investors are under the same guidelines as Korean nationals to open accounts and register with the local financial authority to trade Korean stocks.

American entities and individuals made up the largest share of 33.2 percent among non-Korean investors in Korea at a tally of 15,061, followed by Japanese at 3,972, British at 2,657 and Canadians at 2,649.

U.S. investors owned 259.14 trillion won worth Korean shares, or 41.4 percent of the 625.15 trillion won in Korean market capitalization.

By Jin Young-tae and Lee Ha-yeon

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]