South Korean Shares Fall Further on Tech Weakness

2026-02-06 01:47 By Erika Ordonez 1 min. read

The benchmark KOSPI fell 1.44% to close at 5,089 on Friday, extending losses from the previous session, as weakness in US tech stocks weighed on local semiconductor heavyweights.

The decline followed an overnight drop on Wall Street, driven by concerns that excessive AI-related capital spending could pressure profitability and valuations across major tech names.

The selloff hit Korea’s semiconductor-heavy market hard, with Samsung Electronics (-0.31%) and SK hynix (-0.36%) posting losses and dragging the index lower amid heavy foreign investor selling.

Losses were further intensified by program-driven trades, with a sell-side sidecar briefly triggered in KOSPI 200 futures during early trading.

Weakness broadened across the market, with notable decliners including Hyundai Motor (-4.20%), LG Energy Solution (-2.53%), SK Square (-3.37%), Hanwha Aerospace (-3.59%), HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (-2.00%), and Kia Corporation (-2.94%).



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