KOSPI closes 3.7 percent lower as chip selloff deepens
Published on 10/12/2026 at 13:07 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSKey points in brief
- KOSPI closed at 6,384 points on October 12, down 242 points or 3.7 percent.
- Foreign investors sold KRW 2.0 trillion of KOSPI shares as chip selling intensified.
- SK hynix fell 4.5 percent, while Samsung Electronics dropped 4.4 percent.
- The next KOSPI session starts October 13 at 9:00 a.m. KST before the IMF's 2.6 percent Korea growth forecast update.
The KOSPI closed on October 12 at 6,384 points, losing 242 points or 3.7 percent. The index fell as foreign investors sold KRW 2.0 trillion of shares, according to Seoul Economic Daily.
SK hynix fell 4.5 percent and Samsung Electronics dropped 4.4 percent. Both stocks were among the largest foreign-sale targets, while record Samsung earnings failed to offset pressure on semiconductor shares, The Korea Times reported.
Why did the KOSPI fall below 6,400 points?
Foreign selling accelerated after the market reopened from the Hangeul Day holiday. Investors also reacted to weaker sentiment around artificial intelligence spending and higher oil prices linked to Middle East tensions, Seoul Economic Daily reported.
Samsung Electronics had reported preliminary third-quarter operating profit of KRW 107.4 trillion. The result exceeded KRW 100 trillion but did not prevent further selling in the sector, Korea JoongAng Daily reported.
Semiconductor stocks led KOSPI losses
SK Square fell 6.3 percent, Samsung Electro-Mechanics declined 3.8 percent, and Samsung Biologics lost 1.5 percent. Shinhan Financial Group gained 0.5 percent, one of the few large stocks to advance, according to Asia Business Daily.
Machinery and equipment fell 6.7 percent, electrical and electronic equipment dropped 4.5 percent, and construction declined 4.5 percent. The market recorded 127 advancing stocks against 422 decliners, Asia Business Daily reported.
KOSPI traded between 6,368 and 6,590 points
The index opened at 6,578 points and briefly recovered to 6,590 points. It later fell to 6,368 points before ending at 6,384 points, according to MoneyToday.
What comes next for the KOSPI
The next KOSPI session starts on October 13 at 9:00 a.m. KST. The International Monetary Fund is scheduled to publish its October World Economic Outlook that day. Its July forecast put South Korea's annual growth at 2.6 percent, Seoul Economic Daily reported.
