South Korean shares end more than 1% lower as higher bond yields weigh

SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS

18/08/2026 07:59

KOSPI falls, foreigners net buyers
Korean won strengthens against dollar
South Korea benchmark bond yield rises
For the midday report, please click nL1N44F012
SEOUL, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:

** South Korean shares ended more than 1% lower on Tuesday, after hitting a one-month high earlier in the session, as surging bond yields weighed on market sentiment. 
** The benchmark KOSPI .KS11 closed down 108.11 points, or 1.55%, at 6,869.83, after rising as much as 3.4% to hit the highest intraday level since July 15. 
** The index snapped a winning streak of five consecutive sessions. 
** On Monday, the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index .SOX rose 1.6%, with chipmaker Micron Technology MU.O adding 4% and Applied Materials AMAT.O climbing 5.5%, despite broader weakness on Wall Street. .N
** South Korean financial markets were closed on Monday. 
** Chipmaker stocks opened higher, tracking overnight gains in U.S. peers, before paring their advance in afternoon trade. Samsung Electronics 005930.KS closed down 2.19%, reversing early gains of as much as 4.9%, while peer SK Hynix 000660.KS ended 1.03% higher, after rising as much as 8.9%. 
** "There were foreign inflows in morning trade after a rally in a Hong Kong-listed leveraged ETF linked to SK Hynix, but foreigners turned net sellers as it fell sharply after the market opened in Hong Kong today," said Seo Sang-young, an analyst at Mirae Asset Securities. 
** "Flows are unstable and overall market sentiment is also unstable amid a surge in bond yields," Seo said. 
** CSOP SK Hynix Daily Max (2x) leveraged product 7709.HK fell 8% on Tuesday, after rising 10% on Monday. 
** Of the total 906 traded issues, 195 shares advanced, while 682 declined.
** Foreigners were net buyers of shares worth 91.4 billion won ($64.67 million).
** The won was quoted at 1,411.8 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform KRW=KFTC, 0.27% higher than its previous close at 1,415.6.
** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield KR3YT=RR rose by 8.5 basis points to 3.854%, while the benchmark 10-year yield KR10YT=RR rose by 9.5 basis points to 4.395%.

($1 = 1,413.3000 won)

 (Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Ronojoy Mazumdar)
 ((jihoon.lee@thomsonreuters.com;))