South Korean Shares Rebound on Bargain Hunting

2026-07-03 01:53 By Erika Ordonez 1 min. read

The benchmark KOSPI rose more than 1% to around 7,760 on Friday, recovering part of the previous session's losses as bargain hunting lifted heavyweight semiconductor shares.

Samsung Electronics and SK hynix rebounded nearly 4% and 2%, respectively, after suffering sharp declines a day earlier, helping lift the index despite continued weakness in global chip shares.

Other gainers included Hanwha Aerospace (4.2%), KB Financial Group (3.4%), Shinhan Financial Group (4.9%), LG Energy Solution (1.3%), and Kia Corporation (1.5%).

At the same time, Samsung Electronics remained in focus after reports that AI startup Anthropic is in talks with the company to develop custom AI chips, lending additional support to the semiconductor sector.

Sentiment was also supported by weaker-than-expected US June jobs data, which strengthened expectations that the Federal Reserve could ease monetary policy in the coming months, boosting broader risk appetite.



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South Korean Shares Rebound on Bargain Hunting
The benchmark KOSPI rose more than 1% to around 7,760 on Friday, recovering part of the previous session's losses as bargain hunting lifted heavyweight semiconductor shares. Samsung Electronics and SK hynix rebounded nearly 4% and 2%, respectively, after suffering sharp declines a day earlier, helping lift the index despite continued weakness in global chip shares. Other gainers included Hanwha Aerospace (4.2%), KB Financial Group (3.4%), Shinhan Financial Group (4.9%), LG Energy Solution (1.3%), and Kia Corporation (1.5%). At the same time, Samsung Electronics remained in focus after reports that AI startup Anthropic is in talks with the company to develop custom AI chips, lending additional support to the semiconductor sector. Sentiment was also supported by weaker-than-expected US June jobs data, which strengthened expectations that the Federal Reserve could ease monetary policy in the coming months, boosting broader risk appetite.
2026-07-03
South Korean Shares Slide to Over 3-Week Low
The benchmark KOSPI plunged 7.89% to close at 7,648 on Thursday, extending losses to its lowest level in over 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 its strong first-half rally. Losses were led by Samsung Electronics (-8.90%) and SK Hynix (-12.81%), alongside SK Square (-11.72%), Hyundai Motor (-1.23%), HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (-3.90%), Doosan Enerbility (-2.82%), and SK Inc. (-9.70%). 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