South Korean Shares Slide to 3-Week Low

2026-07-02 01:31 By Erika Ordonez 1 min. read

The benchmark KOSPI slipped nearly 4% to around 7,990 on Thursday, extending losses to its lowest level in three weeks, as a global selloff in AI-related semiconductor stocks pressured market heavyweights.

The decline followed sharp overnight losses in US chipmakers after concerns over the sustainability of AI spending triggered a broad technology retreat, prompting investors to trim positions in South Korea's heavily weighted semiconductor sector following the market's strong first-half rally.

Losses were led by Samsung Electronics (-6.7%) and SK Hynix (-8.4%), alongside SK Square (-9.3%), Hyundai Motor (-3.2%), HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (-2.9%), Doosan Enerbility (-3.2%), SK Inc. (-8.9%), and Hyundai Mobis (-3.1%).

Domestic sentiment was also pressured after South Korea's annual inflation rate accelerated to 3.2% in June, the highest since December 2023, reinforcing expectations that the Bank of Korea could maintain a tighter policy stance.



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South Korean Shares Slide to 3-Week Low
The benchmark KOSPI slipped nearly 4% to around 7,990 on Thursday, extending losses to its lowest level in three weeks, as a global selloff in AI-related semiconductor stocks pressured market heavyweights. The decline followed sharp overnight losses in US chipmakers after concerns over the sustainability of AI spending triggered a broad technology retreat, prompting investors to trim positions in South Korea's heavily weighted semiconductor sector following the market's strong first-half rally. Losses were led by Samsung Electronics (-6.7%) and SK Hynix (-8.4%), alongside SK Square (-9.3%), Hyundai Motor (-3.2%), HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (-2.9%), Doosan Enerbility (-3.2%), SK Inc. (-8.9%), and Hyundai Mobis (-3.1%). Domestic sentiment was also pressured after South Korea's annual inflation rate accelerated to 3.2% in June, the highest since December 2023, reinforcing expectations that the Bank of Korea could maintain a tighter policy stance.
2026-07-02
South Korean Shares Fall on Foreign Selling
The benchmark KOSPI slipped 2.04% to close at 8,303 on Wednesday, reversing gains from the previous session, as persistent foreign selling continued to weigh on sentiment. The sell-off came as the Korean won remained near a 17-year low against the US dollar and overseas investors continued to reduce exposure to local equities. Chipmakers and other large-cap technology names came under pressure after an extended AI-driven rally, with investors locking in gains following another strong quarter for global semiconductor stocks. Losses were also recorded in Samsung Electronics (-4.87%), SK Hynix (-2.75%), LG Energy Solution (-3.87%), Hyundai Motor (-1.97%), and SK Inc. (-8.87%). Meanwhile, South Korea’s exports surpassed $100 billion for the first time in June, driven by a near tripling in semiconductor shipments and strong AI-related demand for memory chips and server equipment, helping limit the market's losses.
2026-07-01
South Korean Shares End Higher on Chip Support
The benchmark KOSPI rose 0.97% to close at 8,476 on Tuesday, recovering from the previous session as semiconductor stocks led broad-based gains. Chipmakers were supported by continued optimism over large-scale investment across Korea's semiconductor ecosystem, alongside a new 454 billion won AI server capacitor supply contract won by Samsung Electro-Mechanics, reinforcing expectations for AI infrastructure demand. Notable gainers included Samsung Electronics (4.02%), SK Hynix (2.05%), SK Square (6.59%), and Samsung Electro-Mechanics (8.05%). At the same time, global sentiment remained supportive, with Asian equities tracking Wall Street's latest gains, firmer European futures, and easing geopolitical tensions helping stabilize oil markets. For June, the KOSPI was little changed, while posting a second-quarter gain of roughly 70%.
2026-06-30