South Korea shares log second weekly decline as chipmakers drag

HYUNDAI MOTOR

08/10/2026 07:52

KOSPI falls, foreigners net sellers
Korean won strengthens against dollar
South Korea benchmark bond yield rises
For the midday report, please click nL1N45U00Q
SEOUL, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:
     ** South Korean shares closed lower on Thursday and logged a second weekly loss in a holiday-shortened week, hurt by weakness in chipmakers and inflation concerns fuelled by higher oil prices. The won firmed, while the benchmark bond yield rose.
** The benchmark KOSPI .KS11 closed down 177.97 points, or 2.62%, at 6,625.93. The index dropped 5.79% for the week. ** Shares of chipmaker Samsung Electronics 005930.KS fell 2.42%, while peer SK Hynix 000660.KS lost 2.44%.
** South Korea is considering prohibiting investment banks without domestic securities licenses from arranging offshore bond sales of local issuers amid an overseas issuance boom, a Ministry of Finance and Economy official told Reuters.
** Samsung Electronics 005930.KS projected its quarterly profit would top 100 trillion won ($74.75 billion), a world first for a technology company, estimating a nearly ninefold jump in third-quarter earnings as booming demand for AI chips drove strong memory sales.    
** The IEA said completing previously announced oil releases as quickly as possible could bring around 100 million barrels to market, although analysts and some governments said the figure did not necessarily represent a ​fresh intervention of that size.       ** Among other index heavyweights, battery maker LG Energy Solution 373220.KS climbed 2.56%, while Hyundai Motor 005380.KS and sister automaker Kia Corp 000270.KS were down 3.42% and 2.55%, respectively. ** Foreigners were net sellers of shares worth 1,988.5 billion won. ** The KOSPI has risen 57.23% so far this year. ** The won has strengthened 7.5% against the dollar so far this year. ** In money and debt markets, December futures on three-year treasury bonds KTBc1 lost 0.01 point to 102.56. ** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield KR3YT=RR rose 3.3 basis points to 3.978%, while the benchmark 10-year yield KR10YT=RR rose 0.2 basis points to 4.393%.

 (Reporting by Cynthia Kim; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
 ((Cynthia.Kim@thomsonreuters.com; 822 3704 5655; Reuters Messaging: cynthia.kim.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))