KOSPI closes 0.89 percent lower as chip stocks lose ground

The index opened at 7,044.67 but fell below 7,000 as foreign investors sold Samsung Electronics and SK hynix ahead of earnings.

KOSPI closed at 6,941.39 points on October 6, 2026, down 62.35 points, or 0.89 percent, as semiconductor stocks weakened and foreign investors sold heavily. The index opened at 7,044.67 before slipping below 7,000. SBS reported that the KOSPI fell below the threshold after one session above it.

Chip stocks lead the decline

Foreign investors sold a net 1.75 trillion won of main-board shares, according to Yonhap. Samsung Electronics fell 1.45 percent to 272,000 won, while SK hynix declined 3.69 percent to 1.77 million won. The selling followed a rise in the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield to 5.347 percent during the holiday period, its highest level since April 2002, The Korea Times reported.

Movers and market breadth

LG Electronics advanced 7.64 percent after securing a long-term agreement to supply chillers for artificial intelligence data centers. Samsung SDI gained 8.7 percent, while Samsung Electro-Mechanics rose 5.9 percent. Samsung Biologics fell 3.25 percent, according to SBS. Decliners outnumbered advancers 461 to 425.

Next catalyst

Investors are turning to Samsung Electronics' preliminary third-quarter earnings announcement scheduled for October 8. Aju Press said the results will test semiconductor momentum as the company's share buyback nears completion. The KOSPI next trades on October 7.

More market reports and analysis on the KOSPI