Home > Business > Finance

Kospi opens lower on tech losses, falls below 3,900 for first time in 8 days

Published: 19 Nov. 2025, 10:18

SHIN MIN-HEE
[email protected]

A screen in Woori Bank's trading room in central Seoul shows the Kospi opening on Nov. 19. [YONHAP]

Shares started lower Wednesday, tracking overnight losses on Wall Street, amid lingering valuation concerns and ahead of key economic data releases.

The Kospi fell 45.42 points, or 1.15 percent, to 3,908.2 in the first 15 minutes of trading. At 9:27 a.m., the Kospi fell below the 3,900 mark to 3,888.02, according to the Korea Exchange. This marks the first time in eight trading days that the Kospi dipped below that level.

Institutions were net sellers, offsetting net purchases by foreign and retail investors.

Overnight, U.S. stocks fell as concerns about an AI bubble persisted and investors took a wait-and-see posture ahead of a job report.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.07 percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite slipped 1.21 percent.

In Seoul, most top-cap shares lost ground, with tech shares under heavy downward pressure.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics fell 1.94, while chip giant SK hynix sank 2.11 percent.

Leading battery maker LG Energy Solution slid 1.47 percent, and nuclear power plant builder Doosan Enerbility lost 1.19 percent.

Leading shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy dropped 3.81 percent, and its rival Hanwha Ocean skidded 3.21 percent.

Leading financial group KB Financial retreated 0.41 percent, while internet portal operator Naver retreated 1.21 percent.

But automakers opened higher. Top automaker Hyundai Motor edged up 0.38 percent, and its sister affiliate Kia advanced 0.68 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,463.5 won against the greenback at 9:15 a.m., down 0.12 percent from the previous session of 1,465.3 won.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE, YONHAP [[email protected]]