Seoul: South Korean stocks opened slightly lower on Thursday, mirroring the overnight losses on Wall Street, which were primarily driven by a downturn in major tech stocks. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) experienced a dip of 3.05 points, or 0.12 percent, settling at 2,500.01 within the first 15 minutes of trading.According to Yonhap News Agency, foreign investors were in a selling mood, counterbalancing the purchases made by institutional and retail investors. In the United States, the Dow Jones Industrial Average saw a decline of 0.31 percent, and the Nasdaq composite, known for its tech focus, decreased by 0.6 percent as major technology shares retraced after recent gains.In the Seoul market, key players such as Samsung Electronics witnessed a drop of 0.89 percent, while SK hynix, a prominent chipmaker, plunged by 2.79 percent. However, the battery sector showed resilience with LG Energy Solution rising by 0.87 percent and LG Chem, a leading chemicals producer, advancing by 1.16 percent.The automotive sector also showed positive movement, with Hyundai Motor, South Korea's largest automaker, increasing by 0.45 percent and its affiliate Kia edging up by 0.21 percent. Conversely, the financial sector faced significant pressure, as evidenced by KB Financial Group's decline of 1.22 percent and Shinhan Financial Group's sharp drop of 3.09 percent.Other notable movements included a 0.5 percent gain by top steelmaker POSCO Holdings and a 1.97 percent jump by internet platform giant Naver. Meanwhile, the local currency was trading at 1,393.85 won against the US dollar at 9:15 a.m., marking an increase of 3.15 won from the previous session.
- October 12, 2026
