South Korea shares rise on chipmaker boost but end week lower

SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS

21/08/2026 08:07

KOSPI rises, foreigners net sellers
Korean won strengthens against dollar
South Korea benchmark bond yield rises
For the midday report, please click nL1N44I015
SEOUL, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:
** South Korean share benchmark closed higher on Friday, but still ended the week lower as AI-linked volatility rose.
** Tech-heavy benchmark KOSPI .KS11 closed up 60.37 points, or 0.88%, at 6,912.95, as chipmakers tracked overnight gains in U.S. peers.
** It fell 0.9% for the week, after rising 11.5% last week to post its biggest weekly rise since early May and snap seven consecutive weeks of declines. 
** The volatility index was at 58 on Friday, slightly higher than a two-month low of 55 hit last week. 
** Chipmakers Samsung Electronics 005930.KS rose 3.87% and SK Hynix 000660.KS gained 2.31%, after the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index .SOX rose 0.5%.
** South Korea's exports rose 56% in the first 20 days of this month, data showed. 
** Samsung Electronics plans to hold a board meeting later in the day to discuss a new shareholder return package.
** South Korea's finance minister said authorities would pre-emptively assess risk factors in financial, foreign exchange, bond and housing markets and respond promptly.
** Bank of Korea's new deputy chief said that monetary policy decisions would be made 'very carefully' and flexibly if needed, taking into account various policy factors including the side effects of rate hikes.    
** Among other heavyweights, battery maker LG Energy Solution 373220.KS slid 4.05%, while Hyundai Motor 005380.KS and Kia Corp 000270.KS were down 0.60% and down 0.15%, respectively. 
** Steelmaker POSCO Holdings 005490.KS shed 3.58%, while drugmaker Samsung BioLogics 207940.KS fell 1.46%.
** Of total 904 traded issues, 193 shares advanced, while 683 declined.
** Foreigners were net sellers of shares worth 175.9 billion won ($126.90 million).
** The won was quoted at 1,386.5 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform KRW=KFTC, 0.69% higher than its previous close at 1,396.0.
** In money and debt markets, September futures on three-year treasury bonds KTBc1 lost 0.07 point to 103.15.
** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield KR3YT=RR rose by 3.3 basis points to 3.855%, while the benchmark 10-year yield KR10YT=RR rose by 3.8 basis points to 4.372%.
($1 = 1,386.0800 won)

(Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Harikrishnan Nair)
((jihoon.lee@thomsonreuters.com;))