KOSPI plunges 3.48% to 5,730.74 as chip stocks sell off
Published on 10/30/2026 at 13:07 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSKOSPI closes sharply lower
- The KOSPI ended October 30 at 5,730.74, down 3.48 percent on the session.
- Semiconductor stocks led the decline as concerns about the returns from heavy artificial-intelligence investment weighed on sentiment.
- Foreign investors sold a net 1.62 trillion won, while the Korea Exchange activated a sell-side sidecar during the session.
The KOSPI ended Friday's session sharply lower after a technology-led sell-off spread through Seoul. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index closed at 5,730.74, down 206.92 points, or 3.48 percent, from the previous trading day. The closing level and session details were reported by Yonhap News Agency.
Chip stocks drive the decline
The index opened 2.99 percent lower at 5,760.35 and fell as low as 5,599.42 before recovering part of the loss. Semiconductor shares were among the main sources of pressure. Samsung Electronics fell 3.02 percent to 225,000 won, while SK hynix dropped 7.08 percent to 1.42 million won, according to Yonhap.
The weakness followed overnight losses on Wall Street and renewed concerns about whether large artificial-intelligence investments will generate adequate returns. Yonhap reported that Alphabet's shares fell by more than 12 percent after its third-quarter revenue came in below market expectations, while the Nasdaq Composite and Philadelphia Semiconductor Index also declined. These developments weighed on sentiment toward Korean chipmakers, although the market move itself reflects the session's broad selling rather than a single company event.
Foreign selling intensifies
Foreign investors sold a net 1.62 trillion won of KOSPI shares, while institutions bought 742.55 billion won and individuals bought 620.97 billion won. Declining shares outnumbered advancing shares 655 to 232, underscoring the breadth of the retreat. Hyundai Motor fell 3.59 percent after lowering its annual sales target and investment plans, while Kia dropped 11.73 percent after reporting weaker-than-expected third-quarter operating profit.
The Korea Exchange activated a sell-side sidecar shortly after 10 a.m. after the KOSPI 200 Futures Index fell at least 5 percent for one minute. The measure temporarily suspends the effectiveness of program sell orders for five minutes; it does not close the market or establish a new index level. The exchange describes the KOSPI as the market-capitalization-weighted benchmark for Korea's main board, with a base value of 100 on January 4, 1980, on its KOSPI market page.
For investors, the session highlighted the index's sensitivity to global technology valuations and its concentration in large semiconductor companies. The sharp close came after a wide intraday range and heavy foreign selling, leaving the next session's direction dependent on the reaction of global technology shares and the outlook for artificial-intelligence spending. Further KOSPI coverage is available on the KOSPI topic page.
