[Edaily Reporter KIM YOON-JEONG ] On the afternoon of the 4th, the KOSPI is down by more than 3% as foreign investors’ net position on the index shifted from net buying to massive net selling. Shortly after the market opened, bargain-hunting centered on major semiconductor stocks pushed the index above the 5,800 mark, but it subsequently fell back to the 5,400 level as foreign investors sold a net total of nearly 2 trillion won. The KOSDAQ also fell below the 700 mark during the session and dropped to the 680s.

According to MP Doctor, as of 1:10 p.m. that day, the KOSPI index stood at 5,458.35, down 190.44 points (3.37%) from the previous trading day.
The index opened at 5,786.13, up 137.34 points (2.43%) from the previous trading day, and rose as high as 5,828.13 early in the session. This is believed to be due to the strong performance of major domestic semiconductor stocks, driven by bargain-hunting—particularly in semiconductor stocks—on the New York Stock Exchange overnight. However, the index subsequently gave up its gains, turned lower, and fell as low as 5,421.72 during the session.
In particular, foreign investor sentiment shifted sharply. Foreign investors, who had been net buyers of 65.3 billion won on the KOSPI in early trading, had switched to net sellers of 1.9597 trillion won as of 1:10 p.m. Meanwhile, retail investors and institutions were net buyers of 1.3547 trillion won and 346.2 billion won, respectively. Other corporate investors also showed a net buying position of 265.7 billion won.
Top-market-cap stocks also turned downward across the board. SamsungElectronics(005930)is trading at 210,500 won, down 4.10% (9,000 won) from the previous trading day, while SK hynix(000660)is trading at 1,318,000 won, down 5.72% (80,000 won). Both stocks had shown gains in the 2% and 3% ranges, respectively, early in the session but later turned lower.
In addition, the top 10 stocks by market capitalization—including SKSQUARE(402340)(-5.90%), SamsungElectroMechanics(009150)(-3.62%), SamsungElectronics(1P)(005935)(-3.32%), SAMSUNG C&T CORPORATION(028260)(-3.07%), SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS(207940)(-2.55%), HyundaiMotor(005380)(-2.34%), and LG Energy Solution(373220)(-1.78%)—are all trading lower.
The results of the U.S. midterm elections are also cited as a market variable. Kim Seok-hwan, an analyst at MIRAE ASSET SECURITIES, noted that as Democratic candidates’ victories are confirmed in key battleground states, the issue of regulations on artificial intelligence (AI) data centers is emerging as a major election issue.
In the U.S., local opposition is growing over issues such as power consumption and environmental concerns stemming from the expansion of AI data centers, as well as tax breaks for large corporations. Analyst Kim predicted that as the likelihood of a Democratic election victory increases, investor sentiment toward AI-related stocks could become more volatile in the short term.
The KOSDAQ index is also extending its losses, falling below the 700 mark. As of this writing, the KOSDAQ stands at 687.21, down 17.18 points (2.44%) from the previous trading day.
The KOSDAQ opened at 715.74, up 11.35 points (1.61%) from the previous trading day, but soon turned lower, falling below the 700 mark and dropping as low as 683.66 during the session.
This marks the first time in about three months—since July 31—that the KOSDAQ index has dipped below the 700 mark during intraday trading. On that day, the KOSDAQ fell as low as 663.25 during the session before closing at 719.76. From August 3 through yesterday, intraday lows had all remained above the 700 mark.
In the KOSDAQ market, retail investors and foreign investors are net buyers of 38.3 billion won and 5.4 billion won, respectively, while institutional investors are net sellers of 26.2 billion won.
Among the top 10 stocks by market capitalization, SIMMTECH Co., Ltd. (6.59%), ECOPRO CO., LTD(086520)(3.99%), ECOPRO BM CO., LTD.(247540)(3.42%), and JUSUNG ENGINEERING Co.,Ltd.(036930)(2.58%) are rising. In contrast, HLB INC.(028300)(-20.15%), Alteogen Inc.(196170)(-8.57%), and Rainbow Robotics(277810)(-4.60%) are plummeting.