South Korean retail investors bought nearly 26 trillion won worth of local stocks in January alone, continuing their buying spree.

According to data by the Korea Exchange on Sunday, individual investors bought a net 22-point-three trillion won worth of stocks in the main bourse and a net three-point-five trillion won of shares in the secondary-KOSDAQ market in January.

The combined figure for January, 25-point-eight trillion won, amounted to 40 percent of the figure for the whole of 2020.

Individual investors mostly bought shares of the country's largest market cap companies, such as chipmakers and autos.

In contrast, institutions sold a net 19-point-six trillion won worth of shares on the two markets in January, while foreigners dumped a net five-point-nine trillion won worth of local shares.