Foreign investors' net purchase of South Korean securities was the biggest in 12 years last year due largely to their buying spree of local bonds, central bank data showed Thursday.

Foreigners bought a net $38.71 billion worth of Korean securities last year, sharply up from $3.47 billion the previous year, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK).

It marked the largest figure since 2009, when the corresponding figure came to $42.2 billion.

Last year, foreigners sold Korean stocks to lock in profits, but they snapped up local bonds, led by central banks from other countries and sovereign wealth funds, the BOK said.

Foreigners sold a net $17.4 billion worth of South Korean stocks in 2021, while their purchases of local debts reached $56.2 billion.

For December alone, foreigners remained net buyers of South Korean securities for the second straight month, the data showed.

Foreigners bought a net $8.54 billion worth of stocks and bonds last month, compared with $5.14 billion in November.

Net inflows of stock funds came to $3.69 billion in December, and foreign investors purchased a net $4.85 billion worth of local bonds, it showed. (Yonhap)