S. Korean stocks open lower ahead of Trump-Xi summit, Fed rate decision

Seoul stocks opened lower Tuesday, bucking overnight gains on Wall Street, as investors await a high-stakes meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping this week. The benchmark Korea Composite Stocks Price Index fell 29.15 points, or 0.72 percent, to 4,013.68 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, Wall Street's major stock indexes finished up, amid promising hopes for a trade deal between the world's two largest economies. Trump and Xi are scheduled to meet

Oct. 28, 2025

Kospi tops 4,000 for 1st time on US-China trade deal hopes

Seoul shares closed higher Monday, surpassing the 4,000 mark for the first time, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street and strong advances in technology stocks amid hopes for a comprehensive US-China trade deal. The Korean won also rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index jumped 101.24 points, or 2.57 percent, to close at 4,042.83. Trade volume was heavy at 513.48 million shares worth 20.04 trillion won (US$14 billion), with gainers beating decliners 561 to 3

Oct. 27, 2025

Samyang Foods' stock slips on tariff jitters

Samyang Foods’ stock rally — shooting past the 1 million won ($700) mark to climb above 1.6 million won per share — seems to have fizzled for now, down more than 20 percent this month even as the benchmark Kospi marches to fresh highs. Shares of the instant noodle maker opened at 1,263,000 won on Monday, down about 2 percent from the previous session and nearly 24 percent below its all-time intraday high of 1,665,000 won, reached just over a month ago. The stock ended the session at 1,260,000 wo

Oct. 27, 2025

Kospi tops 4,000 for first time

South Korea’s benchmark Kospi breached the 4,000 level for the first time Monday, extending its record-breaking run amid growing investor optimism and strong foreign inflows. The milestone came moments after the market opened at 9 a.m., with the index vaulting past 4,000 less than a minute after starting at 3,999.8. The new high came just one trading day after the Kospi crossed the 3,900 mark on Friday. Momentum built quickly. The gauge rose above 4,010 within two minutes, topped 4,030 about 40

Oct. 27, 2025

Seoul shares open sharply higher, topping 4,000, on US-China trade deal hopes

Seoul shares opened sharply higher Monday, exceeding the 4,000 mark for the first time, amid hopes that the United States and China soon could strike a sweeping trade deal. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 81.55 points, or 2.07 percent, to 4,023.14 in the first 15 minutes of trading. After a six-day streak of record gains since last Wednesday, the Kospi paused Thursday as investors locked in profits but rebounded to end in positive territory Friday. On Friday, US stocks also

Oct. 27, 2025

Trading volume of main bourse Kospi hits 4-year high amid bullish run

South Korea's main bourse saw its daily average trading volume reach the highest level in more than four years in October, helped by a recent rally, with semiconductor shares leading the overall increase, data showed Sunday. The daily average trading volume of the Korea Composite Stock Price Index market was estimated at 16.6 trillion won ($11.5 billion) as of Friday, marking the highest level since the 16.9 trillion won tallied in June 2021, according to the data compiled by the Korea Exchange,

Oct. 26, 2025

Foreign ownership of Kospi shares surpasses 1,000tr won

Foreigners' ownership of shares listed on South Korea's main bourse has topped 1,000 trillion won ($694 billion) on the back of the robust performance of the market this year, data showed Sunday. The combined value of foreign holdings in the Korea Composite Stock Price Index market came to 1,125 trillion won as of Friday, taking up 35 percent of the market capitalization at 3,243 trillion won, according to the data compiled by Yonhap Infomax, the financial arm of Yonhap News Agency. The value of

Oct. 26, 2025

Kospi again at record high, inching toward 4,000 points on hopes for Trump-Xi meeting

South Korean stocks closed sharply higher Friday, hitting another record high on strong gains in tech shares, as investor sentiment was lifted by news of a planned summit between the leaders of the United States and China. The Korean won strengthened against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index increased 96.03 points, or 2.5 percent, to close at 3,941.59. Trade volume was moderate at 419 million shares worth 17.6 trillion won ($12.2 billion), with winners beating losers

Oct. 24, 2025

Kospi breaks record as US-China summit plans soothe trade worries

Korea’s benchmark Kospi jumped back above the 3,900 mark Friday, hitting a fresh intraday record as investors welcomed news that Washington and Beijing have officially confirmed the date of their anticipated summit. The index rose as much as 1.83 percent to 3,915.84 in early trading, before easing slightly to 3,897.9 as of 10:25 a.m. The rally came after the White House announced that US President Donald Trump will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Korea on Oct. 30, a day after talks with Pre

Oct. 24, 2025

Seoul shares open sharply higher on eased US-China tensions

South Korean stocks opened sharply higher Friday, led by gains in major technology and financial shares, as easing tensions between the United States and China boosted hopes for a trade deal and helped calm recent market jitters. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index increased 47.85 points, or 1.24 percent, to 3,893.41 in the first 15 minutes of trading. After a six-day streak of record gains since last Wednesday, the KOSPI paused on Thursday as investors locked in profits. US shares r

Oct. 24, 2025

Seoul shares snap 6-day winning streak on profit-taking

South Korean stocks closed lower Thursday, ending a six-day record-setting rally, as investors sought to cash in recent gains amid renewed concerns over global trade tensions. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. After a choppy session, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index decreased 38.12 points, or 0.98 percent, to close at 3,845.56. Trade volume was moderate at 418.6 million shares worth 16 trillion won ($11.1 billion), with losers beating winners 608 to 259. Institutions and

Oct. 23, 2025

Kospi hits record intraday high above 3,900

South Korea's benchmark Kospi set another record Thursday, soaring above the 3,900 mark during intraday trading. It eventually ticked down due to overvaluation concerns and wrapped up in the 3,840 range. The Kospi closed at 3,845.56 on the day, shedding 38.12 points, or 0.98 percent, from the previous session. After opening at 3,835.79, 1.23 percent lower than the previous session, the Kospi quickly dipped to the 3,820 range, reaching the day's low at 3,822.33. Driven by bargain-hunting by retai

Oct. 23, 2025

Seoul shares open sharply lower on profit-taking after record rally

South Korean stocks opened sharply lower Thursday, tracking overnight losses on Wall Street, after a six-day streak of record gains in the local market. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index decreased 49.55 points, or 1.28 percent, to 3,834.13 in the first 15 minutes of choppy trading. All three major US stock indexes extended their losses Wednesday after disappointing earnings reports. The S&P 500 sank 0.5 percent, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 334 points, and the Nasdaq co

Oct. 23, 2025

Kospi wraps up at new high

The South Korean benchmark Kospi reached a new high as of closing Wednesday, demonstrating the strength of its upward momentum. The Kospi closed at 3,883.68, gaining 59.84 points or 1.56 percent from the previous session, setting a new closing record and surpassing the 3,823.84 level reached in the prior trading day. After opening at 3,827.23, the index quickly lost steam and fell below the 3,800 mark, dipping to the low of 3,794.52 in the early trading hours. It soon reversed course and returne

Oct. 22, 2025

Seoul shares on roll to fresh record high amid renewed US-China tension

South Korean stocks extended their winning streak to a sixth day by jumping more than 1.5 percent to close at a fresh record high Wednesday, led by gains in chipmakers and automakers despite renewed concerns over global trade tensions. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index increased 59.84 points, or 1.56 percent, to close at 3,883.68. Trade volume was moderate at 588.5 million shares worth 15.1 trillion won ($10.6 billion), with winners beatin

Oct. 22, 2025