Korean stock markets KOSPI and KOSDAQ closed sharply lower in synchronized decline, with both triggering sell-side circuit breakers during trading. KOSPI fell 304.33 points (-4.46%) to close at 6516.27, while KOSDAQ dropped 42.20 points (-5.33%) to finish at 749.64 after hitting a 52-week low of 747.00 intraday. Institutional investors drove the selloff by dumping 921.8 billion won in KOSPI despite retail and foreign buying totaling 867.2 billion won combined. The sharp declines activated automatic trading halts, with KOSDAQ's sell-side circuit breaker triggering at 10:52 AM followed by KOSPI's at 11:21 AM. This marked the 38th circuit breaker activation in KOSPI this year (20 sell-side, 18 buy-side) and the 10th in KOSDAQ, reflecting sustained market volatility throughout the trading period.
KOSPI Falls 4.46% to Close at 6516.27
KOSPI opened at 6643.58, down 177.02 points (-2.60%) from the previous trading day, according to Korea Exchange. The index plunged to an intraday low of 6472.80 before recovering partially to close at 6516.27, representing a 304.33-point (-4.46%) decline. Retail investors purchased 351.1 billion won and foreign investors bought 516.1 billion won, but institutional selling of 921.8 billion won overwhelmed the buying pressure. All top 10 stocks by market capitalization declined during the session.
KOSDAQ Hits 52-Week Low at 747.00
KOSDAQ opened at 773.21, down 18.63 points (-2.35%), and failed to mount a recovery throughout the trading day. The index reached a 52-week low of 747.00 during the session before closing at 749.64, down 42.20 points (-5.33%). Retail investors purchased 190.8 billion won, but foreign investors sold 57.7 billion won and institutional investors offloaded 134.8 billion won, pulling the index lower. Among the top 10 stocks by market cap, only Samchundang Pharmaceutical rose 29.82%, while the remaining nine stocks declined.
Circuit Breakers Activate on Both Markets
KOSDAQ's sell-side circuit breaker activated at 10:52 AM when KOSDAQ150 futures fell 6.16% to 1285.40 from the previous close of 1369.80, while the KOSDAQ150 index dropped 6.15% to 1280.63 from 1364.55. KOSPI's sell-side circuit breaker triggered at 11:21:26 AM when KOSPI200 futures (nearest month contract) declined 5.13% to 1040.00 from the reference level of 1096.35 and sustained the drop for one minute. The circuit breaker remains in effect for five minutes before automatic release. This marked KOSDAQ's second consecutive trading day with a sell-side circuit breaker activation following the previous occurrence on the 16th.
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix Lead Declines
All top 10 KOSPI stocks by market capitalization closed lower. Samsung Electronics fell 4.31%, SK Hynix dropped 4.23%, SK Square declined 2.89%, Samsung Electronics preferred shares decreased 1.63%, Samsung Electro-Mechanics slipped 0.16%, Hyundai Motor fell 6.12%, LG Energy Solution dropped 4.94%, Samsung Biologics declined 3.65%, Samsung Life Insurance plunged 8.91%, and KB Financial fell 6.79%. In KOSDAQ's top 10, Alteogen fell 2.53%, EcoPro BM dropped 7.38%, EcoPro declined 8.12%, Jusung Engineering plummeted 10.64%, Rainbow Robotics fell 5.54%, Wonik IPS crashed 18.19%, Leeno Industrial declined 4.43%, Corestem decreased 1.45%, and PSK dropped 12.59%.
Won-Dollar Exchange Rate Closes at 1478.40
The won-dollar exchange rate in the Seoul foreign exchange market closed at 1478.40 won, down 12.60 won (-0.85%) from the previous trading day.
FAQ
What caused KOSPI and KOSDAQ to fall sharply on this trading day?
Institutional investors sold 921.8 billion won in KOSPI and 134.8 billion won in KOSDAQ, creating selling pressure that overwhelmed retail and foreign buying. This institutional selloff drove both indices to significant declines, with KOSPI falling 4.46% and KOSDAQ dropping 5.33%.
How many times have circuit breakers activated in Korean stock markets this year?
KOSPI circuit breakers have activated 38 times this year, consisting of 20 sell-side and 18 buy-side triggers. KOSDAQ circuit breakers have activated 23 times, including 10 sell-side and 13 buy-side triggers. The latest activations occurred at 10:52 AM for KOSDAQ and 11:21 AM for KOSPI.
What was KOSDAQ's 52-week low reached during trading?
KOSDAQ reached an intraday 52-week low of 747.00 before closing at 749.64, down 42.20 points (-5.33%) from the previous session.
