South Korean shares fall more than 3% as Iran war escalates

SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS

02/09/2026 03:11

KOSPI falls, foreigners net sellers
Korean won strengthens against dollar
South Korea benchmark bond yield rises
SEOUL, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:

** South Korean shares fell more than 3% on Wednesday, weighed by rising bond yields on escalating conflict between the U.S. and Iran. 
** The benchmark KOSPI .KS11 was down 214.27 points, or 3.13%, at 6,621.53 as of 0158 GMT. 
** U.S. stocks extended their slide on Tuesday, as the global bond selloff deepened and crude prices spiked amid fading hopes for a near-term solution to the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. .N
** The U.S. launched a barrage of air strikes against Iran on Tuesday, prompting Iranian retaliation, in the most serious escalation in weeks in a conflict that has driven up global energy prices and weighed on President Donald Trump's popularity.
** "Negative sensitivity to macroeconomic variables, such as oil prices and bond yields, has risen," said Han Ji-young, an analyst at Kiwoom Securities. 
** South Korea's consumer inflation quickened in August due to low-base effects from the previous comparable period a year ago, data showed on Wednesday, but was lower than expectations.
** Among index heavyweights, chipmaker Samsung Electronics 005930.KS fell 3.26%, while peer SK Hynix 000660.KS lost 3.72%. Battery maker LG Energy Solution 373220.KS slid 3.81%.
** Hyundai Motor 005380.KS and sister automaker Kia Corp 000270.KS were down 5.24% and down 5.26%, respectively. Steelmaker POSCO Holdings 005490.KS shed 2.93%, while drugmaker Samsung BioLogics 207940.KS fell 1.64%.
** Of the total 907 traded issues, 150 shares advanced, while 731 declined.
** Foreigners were net sellers of shares worth 890.2 billion won ($649.8 million).
** The won was quoted at 1,370.2 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform KRW=KFTC, 0.35% higher than its previous close at 1,375.0.
** In money and debt markets, September futures on three-year treasury bonds KTBc1 lost 0.14 point to 102.99.
** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield KR3YT=RR rose by 2.9 basis points to 3.920%, while the benchmark 10-year yield KR10YT=RR rose by 5 basis points to 4.421%.

($1 = 1,369.8800 won)

 (Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala)
 ((jihoon.lee@thomsonreuters.com;))