South Korean Retail Investors Pour $4.6B into US Stocks in July Amid KOSPI Slide

South Korean retail investors pivoted sharply toward US stocks in July, purchasing a net $4.6 billion worth of shares. This marks a 627% month-over-month surge and contrasts with net sales of $469 million in April and $940 million in May. The July figure is also well above the $2.7 billion monthly average recorded in 2025, a year when retail purchases of US equities more than tripled from 2024.

For the first time since February, South Korean individuals bought more US stocks than domestic equities last month. The shift comes as the KOSPI index has tumbled 33% from its June peak, with roughly three-quarters of the decline attributed to the country's two largest chipmakers, Samsung and SK Hynix. The local market weakness is driving capital abroad, with US markets being a direct beneficiary.