KOSPI closes 5.5 percent lower as chip rout deepens
Published on 10/13/2026 at 13:10 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS- KOSPI ended October 13 at 6,035 points, down 349 points or 5.5 percent.
- Foreign investors sold 4.53 trillion won as chip competition fears hit valuations.
- SK hynix lost 9.5 percent at the close as memory stocks led the decline.
- U.S. September CPI is due October 14 at 9:30 p.m. KST.
KOSPI closed at 6,035 points on October 13, losing 349 points or 5.5 percent. Concerns over Chinese memory-chip competition and the durability of AI spending drove the decline, as Associated Press reported.
SK hynix fell 9.5 percent at the close, while foreign investors sold 4.53 trillion won of KOSPI-listed shares. The selling focused on semiconductor leaders, Aju Press reported.
Why is KOSPI down today?
The index opened at 6,186 points and fell to an intraday low of 5,911 points before recovering. Reports that China Memory Technologies plans next-generation server DRAM intensified worries about competition for Samsung Electronics and SK hynix.
Foreign investors sold a net 4.53 trillion won, the heaviest foreign selling since July 28. Decliners outnumbered advancers 630 to 247, according to Aju Press.
KOSPI chip stocks lead the losses
Winners and losers at the October 13 close, according to Korea Times:
- LG Energy Solution up 2.6 percent: preliminary third-quarter earnings benefited from energy-storage demand.
- Samsung Biologics up 0.3 percent.
- SK hynix down 9.5 percent: memory-chip competition concerns weighed on the stock.
- Samsung Electronics down 6.8 percent: semiconductor shares led the market selloff.
KOSPI breaks below 6,000 points
The index traded below 6,000 points for the first time in 47 sessions. The Korea Volatility Index rose 23 percent to 51 points during the session, signaling a sharp increase in market volatility, TradingKey reported.
What comes next for KOSPI?
U.S. inflation and global semiconductor earnings are the next major tests for the Korean benchmark.
- October 14, 2026, 9:30 p.m. KST: U.S. September consumer price index, with consensus estimates of a 0.6 percent monthly headline increase and a 0.2 percent core increase, Stockhub reports.
- October 14, 2026, 2:00 p.m. KST: ASML third-quarter earnings, with orders and equipment demand in focus, Naver Premium reports.
