Why did Seoul stocks fall on Thursday morning, and which shares led the decline?

Concerns about investments in the artificial intelligence value chain prompted a sell-off in major chip shares. Samsung Electronics fell 3.36 percent and SK hynix declined 3.63 percent, while the broader market’s losses extended after an opening drop and apparent profit-taking.

What happened to the Korean won and Samsung Electro-Mechanics shares during Thursday morning trading?

As of 11:20 a.m., the won traded at 1,324 per U.S. dollar, up 2 won from the previous session’s close. Samsung Electro-Mechanics slipped 0.98 percent after opening higher on news of cooperation with Nvidia.

Seoul stocks sharply down late Thursday morning amid AI concerns

Q: How did major U.S. stock indexes perform overnight as AI-related shares rebounded?

U.S. stocks closed mixed after AI-related shares rebounded following SpaceX’s quarterly results. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.69 percent, the S&P 500 gained 0.58 percent and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.05 percent.

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Summary

Seoul stocks fell sharply in Seoul late Thursday morning as concerns over investments in the artificial intelligence value chain sparked a sell-off in major chip shares. The KOSPI dropped 129.12 points, or 2.25 percent, to 5,605.54 as of 11:20 a.m. Samsung Electronics and SK hynix led the decline, while the Korean won traded at 1,324 per U.S. dollar.

Key Facts

The KOSPI opened 1.14 percent lower and extended its losses amid apparent profit-taking.
Samsung Electronics fell 3.36 percent, while SK hynix lost 3.63 percent.
Samsung Electro-Mechanics edged down 0.98 percent after opening higher on news of cooperation with Nvidia.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.69 percent overnight, while the S&P 500 gained 0.58 percent and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.05 percent.
The won was up 2 won against the U.S. dollar from the previous session’s close as of 11:20 a.m.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 22, 2026 9:23 am KST
Updated Oct 22, 2026 11:40 am KST

The benchmark KOSPI is displayed at a dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

Seoul stocks were trading sharply lower late Thursday morning as concerns over investments in the artificial intelligence (AI) value chain sparked a sell-off in major chip shares.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 129.12 points, or 2.25 percent, to 5,605.54 as of 11:20 a.m.

After opening 1.14 percent lower, the index extended its losses amid apparent profit-taking.

Overnight, U.S. stocks closed mixed as AI-related shares rebounded following SpaceX's quarterly results.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.69 percent, while the S&P 500 gained 0.58 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.05 percent.

After delivering sound earnings, Meta Platforms boosted its bet on the AI sector.

In Seoul, tech stocks led the decline.

Chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK hynix lost 3.36 percent and 3.63 percent, respectively.

Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., an electronics components affiliate of Samsung Electronics, inched down 0.98 percent after opening higher on news of cooperation with Nvidia.

The Korean won was trading at 1,324 won against the U.S. dollar as of 11:20 a.m., up 2 won from the previous session's close.

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