Kospi halts trading after an 8.5% plunge as Samsung and SK hynix slide about 10%
A 20-minute circuit breaker fired at 9:03 a.m. Seoul time with the index at 4,924.61, down 459.19 points; Korea Herald and Korea JoongAng Daily tie it to fears that a Democratic Congress will slow AI data-centre buildout.
Why it matters
The Kospi fell 8.52% within three minutes of Friday's open, triggering the first-level halt that the Korea Exchange applies when the index stays at least 8% below the prior close for a minute. It is the 11th such halt this year and follows a 5.28% drop on Thursday. Korea Herald reports the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index fell 12.25% and the Nasdaq 5.52% overnight on fears that a Democratic sweep could delay AI data-centre construction. Watch the Seoul close, Tokyo's session, and whether memory-chip names stabilise.
Key facts
- Circuit breaker triggered at 9:03 a.m. KST, 20-minute halt
- Kospi 4,924.61 at activation, down 459.19 points (8.52%)
- 11th first-level circuit breaker on the index this year
- Samsung Electronics down 9.98% and SK hynix down 11.71% at 9:14 a.m.
- Kospi had fallen 5.28% on Thursday
- Philadelphia Semiconductor Index fell 12.25% overnight