The foreign purchase of South Korean securities stood at more than 38 billion U.S. dollars last year, marking their largest annual investment in domestic market in 12 years.

The overall stock market showed a strong selling trend, but foreigners' purchases expanded sharply in the bond market centering around public funds, as foreign investment sentiment improved on hopes of a recovery.

According to the Bank of Korea(BOK) Thursday, foreigners bought a net 38-point-seven billion dollars in Korean securities in 2021, posting the largest amount since 2009.

Foreigners' bond investment funds stood at 56-point-one billion dollars, more than doubling from the year before.

BOK officials analyzed that in the case of the bond market, Korea's relatively high treasury bond interest rate attracted public currency, led by overseas central banks and sovereign wealth funds.