[Edaily Reporter PARK MIN ] Korea’s top two semiconductor companies, SamsungElectronics(005930)and SK hynix(000660), are both trading lower in pre-market trading on the 28th.

Although oil prices and interest rates have stabilized amid expectations for negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, investor sentiment appears to have been weighed down by concerns over intensifying semiconductor competition originating from China and a sharp decline in U.S. semiconductor stocks.

According to MP Doctor, as of 8:09 a.m., SamsungElectronics was trading at 239,500 won, down 5.71%, in pre-market trading, while SK hynix was trading at 1,672,000 won, down 7.93%.

Semiconductor stocks had also continued to weaken on the New York Stock Exchange overnight. Following the successful initial public offering (IPO) of Chinese memory chip maker Changxin Memory (CXMT), news that China had begun developing deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography equipment—a key component in semiconductor manufacturing—also served as a factor dampening investor sentiment in the semiconductor sector.

On the 27th (local time), the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 52,210.08 on the New York Stock Exchange, up 262.83 points (0.51%) from the previous session. The S&P 500 index edged up 1.18 points (0.02%) to 7,413.18, while the Nasdaq Composite Index closed at 24,932.08, down 45.46 points (0.18%).

The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index, composed of 30 major U.S.-listed semiconductor stocks, fell 2.23% on the day. ASML (-5.8%), NVIDIA (-5.0%), and Micron (-2.3%) all posted losses, while SK hynix American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) plunged 7.47%.