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4w ago

Tariff Alerts and Fed Bets Drive Volatility in Seoul Stocks

KOSPI slid on President Trump’s notice of new Aug. 1 tariffs after softer U.S. inflation data challenged Fed rate-cut forecasts.

This photo, taken July 17, 2025, shows Hana Bank's dealing room in central Seoul, with the benchmark KOSPI index down 0.65 percent at 3,165.51 at 9:20 a.m. (Yonhap)
This photo taken on July 16, 2025, shows the dealing room of Hana Bank in central Seoul. (Yonhap)

Overview

  • The KOSPI opened at 3,173.65 but recovered to close at 3,192.29 as auto and shipbuilding stocks led gains.
  • Retail investors bought a net 281.87 billion won while institutions and foreign investors sold 162.18 billion won and 176.53 billion won, respectively.
  • Samsung Electronics rallied while SK hynix plunged nearly 9 percent after Goldman Sachs downgraded the chipmaker.
  • The Korean won traded near 1,392.60 per dollar against persistent trade-policy uncertainty.
  • Seoul markets have grown sensitive to shifts in U.S. trade negotiations after a 90-day tariff pause expired July 8.