South Korean shares log third weekly decline despite Hynix fervour

Hyundai Motor Co

10/07/2026 08:23

KOSPI rises, foreigners net sellers
Korean won strengthens against dollar
South Korea benchmark bond yield falls
For the midday report, please click nL1N43C017

    SEOUL, July 10 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:  

** South Korean shares closed higher on Friday but marked a third straight weekly decline amid volatility driven by concerns over AI demand. The won strengthened, while the benchmark bond yield fell.  

** The benchmark KOSPI .KS11 closed up 184.03 points, or 2.52%, at 7,475.94. For the week, the index is down 7.57%.  
** Among index heavyweights, chipmaker Samsung Electronics 005930.KS rose 2.52%, while peer SK Hynix 000660.KS lost 0.27%. Battery maker LG Energy Solution 373220.KS climbed 3.99%.
** "It seems appropriate to take the scenario of the stock market re-entering a recovery path as the base case, as AI investment hopes are recovering and the rise in bond yields is being limited," said Han Ji-young, an analyst at Kiwoom Securities.
** SK Hynix priced its American Depositary Receipts at $149 on Thursday raising about $26.5 billion, a U.S. regulatory filing showed, highlighting strong investor appetite for a pivotal chipmaker in AI supply chains.
** Hyundai Motor 005380.KS and sister automaker Kia Corp 000270.KS were up 2.69% and up 1.86%, respectively. Steelmaker POSCO Holdings 005490.KS added 5.56%, while drugmaker Samsung BioLogics 207940.KS rose 5.28%.
** Of the 913 issues traded, 802 shares advanced, while 92 declined.
** Foreigners were net sellers of shares worth 322.6 billion won.
** The won was quoted at 1,504.5 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform KRW=KFTC, 0.33% higher than its previous close at 1,509.5.
** South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean 042660.KS sold around $2 billion in the dollar-won forward market on Friday, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. 
** The KOSPI has risen 77.40% so far this year. 
** The won has weakened 4.3% against the dollar so far this year. 
** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield KR3YT=RR fell by 4.8 basis points to 3.763%, while the benchmark 10-year yield KR10YT=RR fell by 1.6 basis points to 4.224%.

(Reporting by Cynthia Kim, Jihoon Lee; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
((Cynthia.Kim@thomsonreuters.com; 822 3704 5655; Reuters Messaging: cynthia.kim.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net/))