Overview
- President Trump pushed back the start of 25% reciprocal tariffs on South Korean goods to August 1 and announced plans for 50% duties on copper and up to 200% levies on pharmaceuticals and semiconductors.
- The KOSPI hit a new 2025 intraday peak of 3,137.17 on July 9 and remained near record highs courtesy of robust domestic buying.
- Retail investors net purchased 435 billion won in Kospi stocks on July 9, offsetting foreign and institutional net sales of 423 billion won and 61 billion won respectively.
- The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy vowed to intensify U.S. negotiations and highlighted recent pro-market reforms, including the Commercial Act revision, to shore up confidence.
- Samsung Electronics reported a 55.9% year-on-year drop in second-quarter operating profit, citing weak chip demand and fallout from U.S. trade policies.