Korean individual investors purchased over $7 billion worth of U.S. stocks over the past two months amid a correction in the local equity market, industry data showed Sunday. Retail investors bought a net $7.04 billion worth of stocks in the U.S. market from July 1 through Thursday, according to data from the online portal operated by the Korea Securities Depository. Over the same period, they purchased a net 8.75 trillion won ($6.34 billion) in the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) market and a net 1.57 trillion won in the secondary KOSDAQ market. In the United States, individuals bought a net $4.64 billion in July and $2.4 billion during the first 27 days of August. The two-month total was equivalent to 70 percent of their net purchases in the first half of the year, which totaled $9.87 billion. The shift came as the KOSPI underwent a correction after hitting a record closing high of 9,114.55 points on June 22. The index dropped to the 7,000-point level on the second trading day of July and has hovered in the 6,000-point range for more than a month since mid-July. Meanw