Seoul: Foreign investors turned net buyers of South Korean stocks in December, a month after selling off the second-largest amount in history, central bank data showed Wednesday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, offshore investors purchased a net US$1.19 billion worth of local stocks last month, following $9.13 billion in net sell-offs the previous month. This significant selling in November was the largest since the record $9.33 billion sell-off in April.

The country's benchmark KOSPI index experienced a notable increase of over 7 percent in December, driven by a strong performance in semiconductor shares. Over the past year, the KOSPI advanced more than 75 percent.

In addition to equities, foreign investors also acquired a net $6.2 billion worth of bonds last month. This follows the largest net bond purchase on record of $11.81 billion in November.

The data further showed that daily fluctuations in the won-dollar exchange rate narrowed, averaging 5.3 won in December, compared to 5.6 won in the previous month.