Korean Stocks Open Lower as Major Chip Shares Diverge
South Korea’s benchmark stock indexes began Wednesday in negative territory, with the KOSPI down 15.73 points at 6,611.53 and the KOSDAQ down 5.02 points at 807.39 at 9 a.m. Samsung Electronics was flat while SK hynix edged higher, underscoring a mixed opening among heavyweight technology shares.
South Korean stocks opened lower on Wednesday, with both major indexes retreating in the first minutes of trading as heavyweight semiconductor and electronics shares moved in different directions.
At 9 a.m., the benchmark KOSPI stood at 6,611.53, down 15.73 points from the previous close of 6,627.26. The index opened at 6,611.24 and traded in a narrow early range, with a high of 6,611.53 and a low of 6,611.24 in the initial snapshot.
The KOSDAQ also began the session on weaker ground. After opening at 808.37, the secondary index slipped to 807.39, a decline of 5.02 points from Tuesday’s close of 812.41. Its early high was 808.37.
Trading activity was already substantial shortly after the opening bell. KOSPI turnover reached about 3.46 million shares with a traded value of 339.70 billion won at the 9 a.m. mark. On the KOSDAQ, roughly 12.14 million shares changed hands, representing 112.65 billion won in value.
The opening moves among Korea’s largest companies were mixed. Samsung Electronics, the country’s biggest listed company by market value, began unchanged at 248,500 won. The stock traded between 247,500 won and 249,000 won in the early period, with 414,953 shares changing hands.
SK hynix moved against the broader market decline. The memory-chip maker opened 5,000 won, or 0.30 percent, higher at 1,695,000 won. It reached an early high of 1,699,000 won and a low of 1,686,000 won, while turnover totaled 67,499 shares. The advance provided some support to the main index as other large technology-linked names weakened or held steady.
Samsung Electronics preferred shares opened flat at 187,100 won. SK Square, the investment holding company, started 4,000 won lower at 996,000 won, a decline of 0.40 percent. Samsung Electro-Mechanics opened down 2,000 won, or 0.15 percent, at 1,315,000 won.
The simultaneous declines in the KOSPI and KOSDAQ pointed to a cautious start for the domestic market, but the split between Samsung Electronics and SK hynix showed that trading was not uniformly negative across the semiconductor sector. The figures reflect an opening snapshot and may change substantially as Wednesday’s session develops.