KOSPI Narrows Losses, Reclaims 5,400 Mark; SK hynix Up 2%

KOSPI Opens Down More Than 2%, But Paring Losses to Trade Slightly Lower
Foreign Investors Net Sell More Than 1 Trillion Won... Individuals and Institutions Net Buyers

The KOSPI opened down more than 2% but pared its losses during the session, recovering above the 5,400 mark. Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, which were weak early in the session, also recovered, with Samsung Electronics posting a slight loss and SK hynix gaining 2%.

Domestic stock market conditions are displayed on an electronic board in the dealing room of Hana Bank in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Oct. 23, as the KOSPI fell more than 3% early in the session, breaking below the 5,400 mark. 2026.10.23. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

As of 1:42 p.m. on the 23rd, the KOSPI was trading at 5,494.56, down 39.21 points (0.71%) from the previous trading day. It opened at 5,403.17, down 130.60 points (2.36%), and at one point fell more than 3% early in the session.

Buying by individual and institutional investors appeared to support the market despite net sales of more than 1 trillion won by foreign investors. Foreign investors recorded net sales of 1.08192 trillion won, while individuals and institutions recorded net sales of 423.846 billion won and 628.405 billion won, respectively.

By sector, pharmaceuticals (3.73%), medical and precision instruments (1.71%), and general services (1.20%) were strong. Metals (-3.92%), chemicals (-3.47%), machinery and equipment (-3.15%), transportation equipment and parts (-2.83%), and telecommunications (-2.37%) were among the weaker sectors.

Among the largest companies by market capitalization, Samsung Electronics (-0.8%), SK hynix (2.2%), and SK Square (0.2%), ranked first through third, respectively, were trading better than they had early in the session. Samsung SDI (-5.4%), Doosan Enerbility (-4.2%), and Samsung Electro-Mechanics (-4.0%) were weak, while Samsung Biologics (8.1%) and Samsung Life Insurance (0.8%) were firm to nearly unchanged.

The KOSDAQ was trading at 745.88, down 18.22 points (2.38%) from the previous trading day. Foreign and institutional investors recorded net sales of 32.356 billion won and 57.368 billion won, respectively, while individual investors recorded net purchases of 90.098 billion won.

All sectors were flat to lower. Financials (-4.13%), publishing and media reproduction (-3.55%), machinery and equipment (-2.93%), and electrical and electronic equipment (-2.88%) posted notable declines.

Among the largest companies by market capitalization, all of the top three - Alteogen (-3.6%), EcoPro (-5.9%), and EcoPro BM (-5.8%) - were weak. Semiconductor-related stocks including SIMMTECH (-5.5%), Leeno Industrial (-5.4%), and Jusung Engineering (-4.9%) were down around 5%. Rainbow Robotics (-3.8%) and ROBOTIS (-3.8%) also fell by more than 3%.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.