KOSPI Closes Weak at 7,200 Level as Foreign Investors Sell 2.9 Trillion Won

"Disappointment Selling Triggered by Breakdown in Samsung Electronics Labor Negotiations"

The KOSPI index closed at the 7,200 level on May 20, ending the session lower. Foreign investors led the decline by selling approximately 2.9 trillion won worth of shares.

On this day, the KOSPI on the Korea Exchange ended at 7,208.95, down 62.71 points (0.86%) from the previous session. The KOSPI, which opened at 7,324.52, dropped to the 7,000 level in the early session but recovered part of its losses during the day.

Yonhap News Agency

The decline was driven by foreign selling. Foreign investors sold a total of 2.8786 trillion won in KOSPI shares. In contrast, individual investors purchased 1.3342 trillion won and institutional investors bought 1.3698 trillion won worth of stocks.

All industry sectors fell. Food & Beverages and Tobacco (-1.15%), Textiles & Apparel (-2.88%), Chemicals (-3.08%), Non-metallic Minerals (-2.80%), Pharmaceuticals (-1.45%), Metals (-4.66%), Medical & Precision Instruments (-1.27%), Distribution (-2.78%), Electricity & Gas (-5.13%), Transportation & Storage (-2.07%), Construction (-2.53%), and Electrical & Electronic (-0.14%).

The performance of major stocks by market capitalization was mixed. Shares of Samsung Electronics (0.18%), SK Square (0.88%), and SK hynix (0.00%) remained flat. Samsung Electro-Mechanics (7.50%) and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (6.35%) saw substantial gains. In contrast, Hyundai Motor (-1.99%), LG Energy Solution (-3.87%), Doosan Enerbility (-4.43%), and Hanwha Aerospace (-2.88%) fell compared to the previous session.

The KOSDAQ index finished at 1,056.07, down 28.29 points (2.61%) from the previous session. Foreign investors were net buyers of 190.9 billion won, while individuals sold 66 billion won and institutions sold 121.6 billion won.

Most of the top KOSDAQ stocks by market capitalization also declined. Alteogen (-1.91%), Ecopro BM (-3.12%), Ecopro (-2.38%), Rainbow Robotics (-4.20%), Kolon TissueGene (-5.07%), Samchundang Pharm (-5.06%), HLB (-3.84%), and ABL Bio (-5.09%) all fell. Only Jusung Engineering (0.90%) and Leeno Industrial (0.62%) saw slight gains.

Lee Kyungmin, a researcher at Daishin Securities, commented on the day's market, "The domestic stock market weakened as pressures from oil prices, interest rates, and exchange rates persisted, and the breakdown of negotiations between Samsung Electronics labor and management had an impact." He added, "Although U.S. semiconductor stocks rebounded ahead of Nvidia's earnings announcement early tomorrow morning, the disappointment from the failed Samsung Electronics labor negotiations led to sell-offs in Korean semiconductor stocks, resulting in downward pressure on the sector."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.