The net purchase of South Korean stocks by foreign investors hit the highest level in nine years last month.

According to the Finance Supervisory Service(FSS) on Monday, foreigners snapped up over six-point-15 trillion won, or almost five billion U.S. dollars, more in locally listed shares than they dumped in January, the highest since a net eight-point-33 trillion won was bought in September of 2013.

They acquired six-point-38 trillion won-worth of shares listed on the main KOSPI bourse, but sold nearly 240 billion won in shares on the tech-heavy KOSDAQ.

By nationality, investors from the U.S. net bought the most shares at one-point-62 trillion won, followed by those from Luxembourg at one-point-596 trillion won and those from Britain at 948 billion won.

As of January, foreigners held 636 trillion won in local shares, or 26-point-nine percent of the market capitalization.