South Korean shares fall on profit taking; Samsung rebounds amid pay talks

LG Energy Solution

20/05/2026 08:05

KOSPI falls, foreigners net sellers

Korean won strengthens against dollar

South Korea benchmark bond yield falls

For the midday report, please click nL1N41X027

SEOUL, May 20 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:

** South Korean shares ended lower for a second straight session on Wednesday on profit taking, but they trimmed early losses as chipmaker Samsung Electronics turned higher with investor focus on its pay talks.

** The benchmark KOSPI .KS11 closed down 62.71 points, or 0.86%, at 7,208.95, after falling 3% earlier in the session.

** Samsung Electronics 005930.KS ended up 0.18%. The country's labour minister will mediate its pay talks with the South Korean union after negotiations concluded without an agreement earlier in the day.

** Samsung Electronics shares rose as much as 2.5% on hopes of a deal, before turning sharply lower to fall as much as 4.4%.

** The chipmaker accounts for 27% of the benchmark index by market capitalisation.

** "In the eyes of foreign investors, the strike and the attempt being made by the union to take shareholders' profit could be seen in a negative way," said Huh Jae-hwan, analyst at Eugene Investment Securities.

** South Korea's finance minister and two vice finance ministers made comments vowing measures to stabilise bond and currency markets if needed.

** Among other index heavyweights, peer chipmaker SK Hynix 000660.KS was flat, while battery maker LG Energy Solution 373220.KS slid 3.88%. Hyundai Motor 005380.KS and sister automaker Kia Corp 000270.KS were down 1.99% and 3.55%, respectively.

** Of the total 914 traded issues, only 90 shares advanced, while 814 declined.

** Foreigners were net sellers of shares worth 2.9 trillion won ($1.93 billion).

** The won was quoted 0.13% higher at 1,506.8 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform KRW=KFTC, after falling 0.3% earlier in the session to its lowest level since early April.

** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield KR3YT=RR rose by 1.9 basis points to 3.771%, while the benchmark 10-year yield KR10YT=RR fell by 1.2 bps to 4.203%.

($1 = 1,506.2000 won)

 (Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Sonia Cheema)

 ((jihoon.lee@thomsonreuters.com;))