The trading volume of financial derivatives on the local bourse fell last year as demand for such tools declined amid a bearish run on the local stock market, data showed Thursday.
The daily average trading volume of the derivatives, including futures and options, dropped 12.3 percent on-year in 2013 to 47.9 trillion won ($45.6 billion), compared with 54.6 trillion won tallied a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Korea Exchange.
The daily amount of contracts also sank to 3.32 million last year, down 55.1 percent from the 7.4 million tallied in 2012, the data showed.
By instruments, futures trading volume decreased 12.3 percent on-year to 46.79 trillion won on a daily basis, with the trading of options declining 13.4 percent to 1.06 trillion won, according to the KRX.
Foreign investors increased their shares in the local derivatives markets by expanding their investment portfolios, while institutions and retail investors reduced their presence in the market.
The country's key stock index, the KOSPI, closed at 2,011.34 on the last trading session of last year, up 14.29 points, or 0.72 percent, from the end of 2012. (Yonhap News)
