KOSPI and KOSDAQ Close Lower... Foreigners and Institutions 'Sell Off'

Samsung Electronics Defends 70,000 Won Level

Korea Exchange, Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

On the 6th, the Korean stock market closed lower. The KOSPI fell below the 2570 level, and the KOSDAQ turned to a downward trend. In the late session, foreign investors joined the 'selling' trend, pulling the index down.

The KOSPI closed at 2563.34, down 0.73% (18.84 points) from the previous day. The KOSPI started at 2577.41, down 0.18% (4.77 points), briefly turned upward but then shifted back to a decline.

Foreign and institutional investors sold a net 69.3 billion KRW and 305.7 billion KRW respectively, dragging the index down. On the other hand, individual investors alone bought a net 340.7 billion KRW. In the futures market, foreign and institutional investors sold 180.6 billion KRW and 94.8 billion KRW respectively, while individual investors bought 254.3 billion KRW.

Among the top 10 stocks by market capitalization, only Hyundai Motor +0.05% and NAVER +0.94% rose. POSCO Future M (-3.10%) recorded the largest decline. POSCO Holdings -2.85%, Samsung SDI -2.11%, and LG Energy Solution -1.68% also showed notable declines. Samsung Electronics, ranked first in market capitalization, closed down 0.99% at 70,000 KRW.

The KOSDAQ closed at 917.95, down 0.38% (3.53 points) from the previous day. It started at 923.61, up 0.23% (2.13 points), but turned downward in the afternoon. Foreign and institutional investors sold a net 15.7 billion KRW and 31.4 billion KRW respectively, weighing on the index. Individual investors alone bought a net 45.9 billion KRW.

The top 10 stocks by market capitalization showed mixed trends. Notable declines included EcoPro -2.60%, L&F -2.37%, EcoPro BM -1.79%, and JYP Entertainment -1.68%. SM Entertainment closed at 139,000 KRW, up 4.91% from the previous day. HLB +1.41% and POSCO DX +1.03% also showed noticeable gains.

Lee Kyung-min, a researcher at Daishin Securities, explained, "Foreign investors turned to net selling again after four trading days, causing a 0.6% decline. In the absence of any special upward momentum, the market's pause phase was extended, using the continued rise in oil prices as an excuse."