Seoul Stocks Edge Higher as Bargain Buying Lifts Chipmakers
South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI recovered from a weak opening to finish 0.3 percent higher, with bargain buying in major semiconductor shares offsetting continued concerns over artificial intelligence investment and global technology stocks.
South Korean shares ended slightly higher on Friday, reversing an early decline as bargain hunters returned to major semiconductor stocks after the market’s sharp fall in the previous session.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 16.53 points, or 0.3 percent, to close at 5,550.30. The modest increase followed a volatile session in which the index opened 2.36 percent lower before recovering as trading progressed.
Individual investors helped drive the turnaround. They began the session as net sellers but shifted to net buying, providing support as investors reassessed large-cap shares after Thursday’s drop of more than 3 percent. The rebound was nevertheless limited by continuing doubts about the scale and returns of investment across the artificial intelligence value chain.
Semiconductor stocks provided some of the strongest support. Samsung Electronics, the market’s largest company, rose 0.47 percent to 215,500 won. SK hynix advanced 4.42 percent to 1.28 million won after also beginning the day in negative territory. Their gains helped the broader index overcome weakness elsewhere among major shares.
The mixed close in Seoul came after a difficult overnight session for prominent US technology companies. The Nasdaq Composite lost 2.6 percent and the S&P 500 declined 1.21 percent, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.02 percent. Chip and computing shares were among the notable decliners, with Micron Technology falling 6.26 percent, Nvidia losing 4.4 percent and Intel dropping 8.04 percent.
Those moves reinforced concerns that elevated spending on AI infrastructure may not deliver returns quickly enough to justify high valuations. The pressure carried into the opening of Asian trading, but selective buying in Seoul’s largest chip companies helped stabilize the Korean market by the close.
The Korean won also strengthened slightly against the US dollar. It was quoted at 1,324.6 won per dollar at 3:30 p.m., an improvement of 0.4 won from the previous trading session’s closing level.
Friday’s narrow gain points to a market still balancing two competing forces: persistent caution toward global AI-related investments and demand for heavily sold Korean semiconductor shares at lower prices. The intraday recovery showed that domestic buyers remain willing to step in after steep declines, although the subdued closing gain indicated that confidence has not fully returned. Future direction is likely to remain sensitive to movements in US technology stocks, chip-sector expectations and foreign exchange conditions.