South Korea's top pension operator has expanded its investment in domestic-oriented companies in the second half of 2015, data showed Sunday, amid the prolonged slump in the global economy that has cast clouds over exporters.

The National Pension Service has increased stake investments in 133 firms in the second half, with 18 of them being food and beverage producers, the data compiled by market tracker FnGuide showed.

The data only includes companies where the NPS holds a 5 percent or higher stake. It also expanded shares in 12 pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms, which depend on domestic consumption.

South Korea's top institutional investor also expanded stakes in tourism businesses amid the abated concerns over the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outbreak in May, which had been weighing down the segment over previous months.

In contrast, the NPS held steady its stake in export-oriented giants, including Samsung Electronics Co. and SK hynix Inc., amid the cloudy outlook for the global economy. (Yonhap)