In brief
South Korean shares opened lower, with the KOSPI down 3.36% to 5,662.37, as investors weighed the cost of big‑spending AI infrastructure and uncertainty around U.S. midterms. The fall hit Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Hyundai Motor, mirroring a dip in global tech markets, while oil prices slid on hopes for a U.S.-Iran peace plan.
In Seoul, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 3.36% to 5,662.37 at 9:15 a.m., according to Yonhap, as investors weighed concerns about heavy spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure amid the U.S. midterm elections.
The tech‑heavy Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 closed 1.07% and 0.51% lower overnight, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.41%. Oil prices slipped on optimism about a potential U.S.-Iran peace agreement.
All shares opened in negative territory. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics tumbled 4.59%, and chipmaker SK Hynix slumped 5.1%. Top carmaker Hyundai Motor decreased 1.57%, and energy firm Doosan Enerbility sank 3.77%. Leading shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries fell 2.26%, and defense giant Hanwha Aerospace declined 0.81%.
Earlier in the day, another Yonhap piece reported the KOSPI had dropped 2.46% to 5,715.19 at the opening bell. That account noted similar tech and AI concerns and highlighted the mixed U.S. stock market.
Meanwhile, a separate report highlighted the broader regional context: the United States midterm elections are being watched closely across the Asia‑Pacific because of the war on Iran. "Of course, everybody is watching," said trade specialist Steven Okun, chief executive of APAC Advisors.
"It’s great political theatre."Okun added that a Democratic‑controlled Congress might not dramatically change Trump’s foreign‑policy agenda but could introduce more scrutiny on military operations.
Investors in Seoul are also wary that the U.S. elections could lead to stricter AI regulations, which could ripple into Korea’s technology sector. Analysts predict the market could finish within 1% of its opening, according to a live poll of analysts.
