Korean Stock Market Opens Lower, Turns Firm in Early Trading

Foreign Investors Sell Both KOSPI and KOSDAQ
Market Opening and Closing Delayed by One Hour Due to CSAT Day

On November 13, as the 2026 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) is underway, the Korean stock market showed mixed movements in early trading. On this day, due to the CSAT, trading on the domestic stock market began one hour later than usual, starting at 10 a.m., and the regular market closing time was also extended to 4:30 p.m.

As of 10:32 a.m. on November 13, the KOSPI index was trading at 4,156.62, up 6.23 points (0.15%) from the previous day. The index opened at 4,127.57, down 22.82 points (0.55%), but rebounded afterward and remained in positive territory. Foreign investors sold 57.9 billion won worth of shares, and institutional investors sold 135 billion won worth. Individual investors made a net purchase of 203.4 billion won.

As the US federal government shutdown is about to be lifted, on the 13th, the status board in the dealing room of Hana Bank in Jung-gu, Seoul, displayed the KOSPI, exchange rates, and KOSDAQ index. Photo by Jo Yongjun

Among the top stocks by market capitalization, Celltrion (up 6.89%), Doosan Enerbility (up 1.79%), HD Hyundai Electric (up 1.30%), and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (up 1.12%) recorded gains. In contrast, Samsung C&T (down 1.97%), SK Square (down 1.40%), Shinhan Financial Group (down 0.98%), Korea Electric Power Corporation (down 0.84%), and LG Energy Solution (down 0.63%) declined.

By sector, entertainment and culture (up 2.93%), pharmaceuticals (up 2.17%), textiles and apparel (up 1.10%), food, beverages, and tobacco (up 0.83%), and chemicals (up 0.73%) rose. On the other hand, insurance (down 0.71%), retail (down 0.59%), and electricity and gas (down 0.46%) sectors showed declines.

At the same time, the KOSDAQ index stood at 909.56, up 3.05 points (0.34%) from the previous day. The index opened at 904.36, down 2.15 points (0.24%), but continued to show strength. Foreign investors made a net sale of 171.3 billion won. Meanwhile, individual investors made a net purchase of 172.1 billion won, and institutional investors purchased a net 30.7 billion won.

Among the top KOSDAQ stocks by market capitalization, ABL Bio surged by 27.07%. The stock has remained strong for two consecutive days following news of a technology transfer contract worth nearly 3.8 trillion won. Other gainers included PharmaResearch (up 5.64%), Celltrion Pharm (up 4.17%), Classys (up 4.23%), Hugel (up 2.67%), EO Technics (up 1.75%), and Kolon TissueGene (up 1.37%). On the other hand, Wonik IPS (down 2.57%), Voronoi (down 2.01%), LIG ChemBio (down 2.17%), Ecopro (down 1.50%), Alteogen (down 1.46%), Leeno Industrial (down 1.23%), and Peptron (down 1.19%) saw declines.

Meanwhile, on November 12 (local time), the three major indices on the New York Stock Exchange closed mixed, as expectations for the end of the US federal government shutdown and concerns over the overvaluation of artificial intelligence (AI) technology stocks intersected. With both the US House and Senate passing a stopgap budget bill, only President Donald Trump's signature remains, making the end of the shutdown virtually imminent.