The KOSPI closed above 7,000 for the first time in about two months, up 1.40%, as OpenAI’s GPT-6 launch lifted chip sentiment and battery materials rallied. Individuals sold a hefty 2.5 trillion won while institutions bought.
Seoul’s KOSPI surged past 7,000 intraday on AI memory-demand hopes tied to OpenAI’s upcoming ‘Astra’ model, then closed down 0.58% at 6,954.52 as retail investors dumped over 3 trillion won of stock. Oil and a US-Canada trade fight added pressure.
A move in USD/KRW from about 1,345 to 1,450 erases roughly 7% of a dollar-based KOSPI return before a single stock price moves. This guide explains the FX feedback loop, why the 1,400-1,500 zone matters, hedged vs unhedged exposure, and how to read foreign flow data in eok won.
Korea’s KOSPI jumped 4.61% to 6,995.39 as OpenAI ‘Astra’ expectations powered Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. Foreigners and institutions bought heavily while retail investors sold a near-record 8.26 trillion won.
The KOSPI closed at 6,687.21 (+1.64%) and the KOSDAQ surged 2.95% as foreign and institutional investors bought heavily on Fed rate-pause signals, while retail investors sold about $3.3 billion. Semiconductors and crypto-linked names led; banks and biopharma lagged.
FOMC decisions land at 3 AM KST (4 AM in US winter), and Seoul is among the first major cash markets to open on the result. Here is how to read Fed funds futures probabilities like a ‘66% priced in’ figure, what the dot plot actually commits the Fed to (nothing), and the three channels — USD/KRW, foreign flows, and the BOK rate gap — that carry the shock into the 9 AM Korean open.
The KOSPI sank 3.99% to 6,562.72 as US-Iran clashes near the Strait of Hormuz pushed Brent above $90 and US yields hit multi-month highs. Samsung Electronics and SK hynix fell over 4%, while biotech names surged to Korea’s 30% daily limit.
KOSPI reversed a 1.28% intraday drop to close up 0.23% as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix extended their buyback-driven rally amid renewed US-Iran tensions. KOSDAQ fell 1.56% with all ten of its largest stocks lower; retail investors bought while foreigners and institutions sold.
US CPI hits at 21:30-22:30 KST, roughly eleven hours before the KOSPI opens. Three channels carry the surprise into Seoul’s 9:00 a.m. session: US index futures and the SOX, the USD/KRW rate, and foreign investor flow direction. Here is how to read each one, with a worked example of reading a multi-session foreign-flow tape from August 2026.
The KOSPI opened down 2.6% and fell over 3% intraday before Samsung Electronics and SK hynix buybacks soaked up foreign and passive selling, lifting the index to close up 0.46% at 6,820. The KOSDAQ lagged as battery names slid.