KOSPI closes 6.02% lower at 5,059.69 after trading halt
Published on 11/06/2026 at 13:03 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSAI fears drive sharp KOSPI decline
- The KOSPI closed at 5,059.69 on November 6, down 6.02 percent from the previous session.
- The index briefly fell below 5,000 after a decline of more than 8 percent triggered a trading suspension.
- Concerns about tighter US AI regulation and slower data-center construction pressured semiconductor stocks.
- Samsung Electronics fell 6.35 percent and SK hynix dropped 10.44 percent, according to Yonhap News Agency.
The KOSPI closed sharply lower on Friday, November 6, as renewed concerns over artificial-intelligence investment and US policy weighed on South Korean technology stocks. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index ended at 5,059.69, down 324.11 points, or 6.02 percent, from the previous session's close of 5,383.80 on November 5.
Trading halt followed steep opening drop
The index fell more than 8 percent shortly after the Seoul market opened and briefly moved below the 5,000-point mark. Trading in KOSPI stocks was suspended after the sharp decline, before the market resumed and pared part of its early loss. The index nevertheless finished near the session's lows, extending the sell-off that had already pushed the benchmark down 5.28 percent on November 5.
Yonhap News Agency reported that the market's decline followed a technology sell-off on Wall Street. The Nasdaq fell more than 5 percent overnight, while investors reassessed the outlook for AI infrastructure after Democrats won majorities in both chambers of the US Congress in the midterm elections. The result raised concern that tighter regulation could slow the construction of data centers, particularly in major technology and energy markets.
Yonhap News Agency said Samsung Electronics fell 6.35 percent and SK hynix declined 10.44 percent. The two companies account for nearly half of the KOSPI market, making semiconductor performance a major influence on the index. The selling therefore reflected both broad risk reduction and a direct reassessment of the earnings and investment outlook for the AI supply chain.
Volatility remains elevated
The KOSPI 200 volatility index rose to a three-month high of 64.74, according to Yonhap's report citing the Korea Exchange. South Korean authorities said they would monitor market conditions and announced temporary steps intended to reduce pressure from leveraged investments. The response may help market functioning, but it does not remove the external uncertainty surrounding AI spending, regulation and global technology valuations.
For investors, Friday's close marked a second consecutive steep decline rather than an isolated intraday move. The immediate focus remains on whether semiconductor shares stabilize and whether expectations for US AI infrastructure spending are revised further. Further volatility remains possible while those questions are unresolved. More KOSPI coverage is available on the KOSPI topic page.
