KOSPI closes higher as SK hynix rebounds 0.3 percent

The KOSPI closed at 5,550 points on October 23, up 17 points or 0.3 percent. The index recovered after an early 4.1 percent drop as investors bought major chip stocks, Yonhap News Agency reported.

SK hynix led the rebound with a 4.4 percent gain after suspending plans to list its U.S. subsidiary Solidigm, while institutional investors bought 872.2 billion won, Seoul Economic Daily said.

Why did the KOSPI recover?

The KOSPI opened at 5,403 points and fell to an intraday low of 5,306 points. It later turned higher and finished at the session high of 5,550 points, according to MK.

Persistent concerns over artificial intelligence investment had pressured the market after the previous session's 3.5 percent decline. Those concerns were partly reflected in chip prices before Friday's rebound, while the Solidigm decision eased fears about a competing listing structure.

Winners and losers in the KOSPI

Large-cap winners and losers at the October 23 close were listed by Financial News:

• Samsung Biologics up 7.7 percent.
• SK hynix up 4.4 percent: Solidigm IPO plans were suspended.
• SK Square up 3.2 percent: sentiment improved around the Solidigm decision.
• KB Financial Group down 3.3 percent.
• Samsung Electro-Mechanics down 2.0 percent.
• Hyundai Motor down 2.0 percent.

Market breadth stayed weak despite the index gain. Decliners outnumbered advancers 716 to 173, and trading volume reached 236 million shares, Yonhap News Agency reported.

KOSPI reverses a 4.1 percent slide

The session's 245-point range showed the sharp reversal from the early selloff. The Korean won strengthened to 1,324.6 won per U.S. dollar at 3:30 p.m. KST, up 0.4 won from the prior session, according to Yonhap News Agency.

The rebound did not remove the market's technology exposure. Samsung Electronics gained 0.5 percent, while Samsung Biologics rose 7.7 percent and financial stocks lagged.

What comes next for KOSPI

• October 26, 2026, 9:00 a.m. KST: The next KOSPI session opens after the weekend; regular KRX trading runs from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. KST, ETF Shopping notes.
• October 28, 2026, 9:00 a.m. KST: SK hynix will release third-quarter earnings and hold an earnings call, SK hynix said.

KOSPI price data for October 23, 2026

The KOSPI closed at 5,550 points on October 23, up 17 points or 0.3 percent from the October 22 close, Yonhap News Agency reported. It opened at 5,403 points, reached a high of 5,550 points and fell to a low of 5,306 points.

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