How much did the KOSPI rise by late Wednesday morning, and what were the net trading flows by investor group?

At 11:20 a.m., the KOSPI was up 227.93 points, or 4.1 percent, at 5,780.67. Institutions and foreign investors were net buyers of 148.32 billion won and 320.52 billion won, respectively, while retail investors were net sellers of 1 trillion won.

What triggered the Korea Exchange’s buy-side sidecar on the KOSPI market?

The Korea Exchange activated the sidecar at 10:51 a.m. after a sharp rise in the KOSPI 200 Futures Index. The measure temporarily suspended program trading orders for five minutes.

How did major Korean technology stocks perform during the Wednesday morning rebound?

Samsung Electronics rose 7.09 percent and chipmaker SK hynix gained 7.2 percent. The article attributed the broader technology-stock rebound in part to strong earnings from some technology companies and investor attention to earnings reports due that week.

Seoul shares extend gains late Wednesday morning on tech rebound

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Summary

Seoul shares rose in Seoul late Wednesday morning, gaining 4.1 percent to 5,780.67 as of 11:20 a.m. after a technology-stock rebound. The KOSPI recovered after falling nearly 4 percent in the previous session, while investors awaited earnings reports from Meta Platforms and other technology companies due this week. The Korea Exchange temporarily suspended program trading orders after a sharp rise in KOSPI 200 Futures.

Key Facts

The KOSPI rose 227.93 points after opening 2.05 percent higher.
Institutions bought a net 148.32 billion won in stocks, and foreign investors bought a net 320.52 billion won; retail investors sold a net 1 trillion won.
The Korea Exchange activated a buy-side sidecar at 10:51 a.m., suspending program trading orders for five minutes.
Samsung Electronics gained 7.09 percent and SK hynix rose 7.2 percent, while Hyundai Motor fell 0.16 percent and POSCO Holdings declined 0.33 percent.
The won traded at 1,327.1 per U.S. dollar as of 11:20 a.m., down 1.1 won from the previous session’s close.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 21, 2026 9:26 am KST
Updated Oct 21, 2026 11:46 am KST

A screen at the dealing room of Hana Bank’s headquarters in Seoul shows the exchange rate and the KOSPI indices, Wednesday. Yonhap

Seoul shares extended gains late Wednesday morning, led by a rebound in technology stocks, despite concerns over heavy investment in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.

After opening 2.05 percent higher, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 227.93 points, or 4.1 percent, to 5,780.67 as of 11:20 a.m.

The main index rebounded after falling nearly 4 percent in the previous session.

Institutions and foreigners bought a net 148.32 billion won ($112 million) and 320.52 billion won worth of stocks, respectively. Retail investors sold a net 1 trillion won.

Overnight, U.S. stocks closed mixed, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 1.02 percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite slipped 0.02 percent.

Strong earnings from some technology companies helped revive investor interest in tech stocks, with investors turning their attention to earnings reports from Meta Platforms and other technology companies due this week.

The Korea Exchange (KRX) activated a buy-side sidecar for the KOSPI market at 10:51 a.m. after a sharp rise in the KOSPI 200 Futures Index, temporarily suspending program trading orders for five minutes.

In Seoul, technology stocks led the gains.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics jumped 7.09 percent, and its chipmaking rival SK hynix climbed 7.2 percent.

National flag carrier Korean Air gained 1.9 percent, and Hyundai Steel was up 2.14 percent.

Among decliners, top carmaker Hyundai Motor fell 0.16 percent and leading steelmaker POSCO Holdings declined 0.33 percent.

The Korean won was trading at 1,327.1 won against the U.S. dollar as of 11:20 a.m., down 1.1 won from the previous session's close.

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