Journalist

Seo Hye Seung, Kim Yeon-jae
  • BOK seen holding rates through early 2026 as won weakens and debt pressures mount
    BOK seen holding rates through early 2026 as won weakens and debt pressures mount SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - The Bank of Korea is widely expected to keep its key rate unchanged at 2.50 percent this week — and likely through the first half of 2026 — as the steep slide in the Korean won and heavy private-sector debt leave little room for further easing. The Monetary Policy Board meets Thursday for its final rate decision of the year. The base rate was cut twice in the first half, by a combined 50 basis points from 3.00 percent to 2.50 percent, and has stayed on hold since May. The pause came as housing demand reignited ahead of a hawkish incoming government, and as a frenzy for U.S. tech stocks fueled structural weakness in the won and Korean bonds, narrowing policy options for fiscal and monetary authorities. The U.S. dollar traded at 1,476 won on Monday — a level last seen during the global financial crisis in 2009 and again during the presidential impeachment in April — while Korean government bond yields hover above 3 percent. The BOK’s widening rate gap with the U.S. Federal Reserve is contributing to the pressure: the Fed’s benchmark stands at 3.75–4.00 percent, well above Korea’s 2.50 percent. A prolonged U.S. government shutdown has driven investors toward dollar assets, Treasuries, and gold, helping explain why the won continued to weaken even as $2.29 billion flowed into Korean equities. Outbound demand for dollar assets intensifies pressure Korea’s deepening appetite for overseas investments is adding another drag on the currency. According to BOK balance-of-payments data released November 6, outbound portfolio investment by Korean residents surged $11.2 billion in September, outpacing the $9.1 billion in foreign inflows to Korean securities. In short, Koreans bought more foreign assets than foreigners bought Korean ones. Institutional investors mirror the trend. As of August, the National Pension Service allocated 36.8 percent of its assets to overseas equities — nearly triple the 14.8 percent invested at home. Including bonds, overseas assets accounted for 43.9 percent of the NPS portfolio, exceeding its domestic holdings at 39.4 percent. Debt overhang limits BOK’s maneuvering room High household leverage is another constraint on policy. Korea’s household debt reached a record 2,325.8 trillion won ($1.58 trillion) at the end of June, BOK data show. The household-debt-to-net-GDP ratio climbed to 89.7 percent. Housing loans remain the bulk of the load, totaling 1,159 trillion won in the third quarter, while margin loans used for stock leverage rose to 26.85 trillion won as retail investors borrowed aggressively during this year’s KOSPI rally. “Korean outbound investment has become heavily concentrated in equities, and corporate demand for dollar conversion has fallen as exposure to U.S. assets has increased,” said Wi Jae-hyun, economist at NH Futures Research Center. Given expectations of continued won weakness, he said, the BOK has little choice but to stay on hold. Shinyoung Securities researcher Cho Yong-gu also dismissed the likelihood of easing, saying he sees no rate-cut scenario at least until May next year. 2025-11-24 17:37:33
  • Asian shares make mild rebound early Mon after last weeks AI tantrums
    Asian shares make mild rebound early Mon after last week's AI tantrums SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - Asian markets showed a mild recovery from last week's AI bubble tantrums with key indices pointing to north in early Monday session. South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI was trading 1 percent higher at 3,890 as of 10:30 a.m., recovering part of Friday's near 4-percent dive. Further rises were constrained by expectations of the Bank of Korea signaling extended pause in easing at its final Monetary Policy Board meeting of the year amid jump in the dollar-won rate that has sent the Korean currency at its cheapest level since the 2009 global financial crisis. Institutional investors continued to support the market, buying 187.5 billion won ($127 million). Foreign investors — who dumped 2.4 trillion won on Nov. 21 alone — turned net buyers, picking up 120 billion won so far today. Retail investors sold 302.1 billion won to net profits amid volatile market. The won remained weak. The dollar was trading at 1,471 won at 10:15 a.m., down only 0.9 won from the Friday close despite speculated intervention from authorities. Semiconductor stocks saw another sharp swing. Samsung Electronics climbed 4.2 percent to 99,000 won ($67.2), and SK hynix rose 3.26 percent to 538,000 won. Battery heavyweights, however, struggled to gain traction. LG Energy Solution fell 2.12 percent to 416,500 won, and Samsung SDI slipped 0.6 percent to 286,500 won. Despite strong performance in the energy storage system (ESS) segment, concerns over slowing EV demand and intensifying competition from Chinese battery-makers CATL and BYD weighed on shares. Bio stocks were also weak. Samsung Biologics fell 4 percent to 1,725,000 won following its spin-off of Samsung Bioepis. Shares of Samsung Epis Holdings — newly listed after the spin-off — plunged 21.1 percent to 482,000 won. Japan’s Nikkei 225 was closed on Monday for the substitute holiday for Labor Thanksgiving Day. Taiwan’s TAIEX rose 0.6 percent to 26,588. Chip stocks were largely subdued. TSMC traded at 1,385 Taiwan dollars ($44.1), little changed from last week. MediaTek was also steady at 1,145 Taiwan dollars. Hon Hai Precision Industry slipped 0.9 percent to 223 Taiwan dollars as concerns over an AI bubble persisted. Component makers fared better. Delta Electronics — a major supplier of power electronics and power conversion systems — rose 0.67 percent to 901 Taiwan dollars. Across Greater China, markets were mixed. The Shanghai Composite Index edged down 0.1 percent to 3,830, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained 1 percent to 25,487, supported by a rebound in tech shares. Xiaomi climbed 2 percent to 39 Hong Kong dollars ($5). 2025-11-24 11:22:26
  • KOSPI, this years stellar winner, crashes into year-end on AI bubble scare and FX pressures
    KOSPI, this year's stellar winner, crashes into year-end on AI bubble scare and FX pressures SEOUL, November 21 (AJP) - South Korea’s KOSPI has been the strongest-performing major Asian index this year, but this week’s rout has laid bare its structural fragility — an equity market dominated by a few tech bellwethers and increasingly shunned by foreign investors as the won sinks to new lows. Until just days ago, enthusiasm bordered on euphoria. Forecasts that the KOSPI could surge to 5,000 or even 7,000 became commonplace. Even after Friday’s 3.8 percent plunge — the sharpest drop among major Asian markets — the benchmark is still up 60.5 percent for the year, rising from 2,399.49 at the end of 2024 to 3,853.26. Outsized weight of mega-caps and the AI fad Korea’s equity market has become more concentrated than ever. According to Leaders Index, the combined market-cap share of the top five conglomerates — Samsung, SK, Hyundai Motor Group, LG, and HD Hyundai — rose from 45.9 percent at the start of the year to 52.2 percent as of Nov. 3. More than half of the KOSPI is effectively tied to a handful of corporate groups. AI-driven semiconductor giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix alone account for over a quarter of total capitalization. When they fall, the entire index buckles. On Friday, SK hynix plunged 8.76 percent to 521,000 won, while Samsung Electronics slid 5.77 percent to 94,800 won — the two steepest drops among Korea’s market heavyweights. Traders call it a “follow-the-leaders market,” with sector performance rarely diverging from the megacaps. Even power-related stocks — which should benefit from surging AI electricity demand — remain dominated by conglomerates. Hyundai Motor Group controls key nuclear-construction player Hyundai Engineering & Construction, while HD Hyundai owns transformer leader HD Hyundai Electric. Both fell sharply Friday: HD Hyundai Electric slid 7.85 percent to 751,000 won, and Hyundai E&C dropped 3.73 percent to 59,300 won. The squeeze on smaller companies is intensifying. A joint survey by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Korea Venture Capital Association found that 91.8 percent of VCs dependent on policy financing struggled to raise private capital this year. The IPO market, meanwhile, is frozen. As of Nov. 21, only seven companies had listed on the KOSPI — the same anemic tally as last year, when the index barely moved. FX volatility fans foreign outflows Tech concentration alone does not fully explain the KOSPI’s vulnerability. Taiwan’s TAIEX is similarly top-heavy — TSMC represents roughly 40 percent of the index, and the top five names exceed half of total market cap. Yet Taiwan has suffered far less from the global AI correction. The critical difference is currency risk. On Friday, the Korean won traded at 1,475.1 per U.S. dollar, down nearly 8 percent from the June average of 1,366.92. With Korea’s benchmark rate at 2.50 percent — far below the U.S. Fed Funds target range of 3.75–4.00 percent — the carry disadvantage leaves Korean assets exposed. A persistently weak won also deprives foreign investors of the chance to earn FX gains. Rate hikes are largely off the table. Korea’s economy is expanding at under 1 percent annualized, and household debt remains one of the highest among advanced economies. Bank of Korea Governor Rhee Chang-yong has repeatedly noted the limits of intervention, saying the won’s weakness reflects external forces such as broad dollar strength and heavy Korean retail investment in U.S. equities. “Given Korea’s internal constraints, the country has little choice but to hope for external relief such as U.S. rate cuts,” said Cho Yong-gu, a researcher at Shinyoung Securities. Weaker FX buffers than regional peers South Korea’s foreign-exchange reserves stand at $420 billion, or about 23 percent of GDP — well below Taiwan’s $600.2 billion, which equals 77.4 percent of its GDP. The gap gives Taipei far stronger firepower to defend its currency or cushion capital-flow shocks. 2025-11-21 17:31:38
  • Asian shares tumble on renewed U.S. tech rout, exposing regional market fragility
    Asian shares tumble on renewed U.S. tech rout, exposing regional market fragility SEOUL, November 21 (AJP) - Asian markets slid on Friday as a fresh selloff in U.S. tech reignited “AI bubble” fears and laid bare how deeply regional sentiment is tethered to Wall Street’s semiconductor cycle. Overnight, all three major U.S. indexes fell. Nvidia cooled 3.15 percent to $180.64, reversing its brief rebound. AMD plunged 7.84 percent to $206.02, while Micron Technology tumbled 10.87 percent to $201.37, clinging just above the psychologically important $200 line. South Korea’s KOSPI skidded 3.4 percent to 3,866 as of 10:30 a.m., slipping back below 3,900 after a brief recovery above 4,000 level on the previous day. Foreign investors dumped 1.58 trillion won ($1.1 billion) of Korean equities — the steepest net selling among major Asian markets — as concerns mounted over an AI-driven correction, a rapidly weakening won, and the index’s heavy concentration in a handful of mega-cap tech names. Retail investors scooped up 1.37 trillion won in dip-buying, while institutions added 243 billion won. SK hynix plunged 7.71 percent to 527,000 won, posting the sharpest loss on the main board. Samsung Electronics fell 4.57 percent to 96,000 won. The AI selloff spilled over into Korea’s power-equipment and nuclear-related names: Doosan Enerbility slid 5.7 percent to 73,300 won, and Hyosung Heavy Industries extended losses to 1,915,000 won. Still, pockets of resilience emerged. Lotte Energy Materials — which supplies copper foil used in Nvidia GPU substrates — gained 3.6 percent to 40,400 won. Naver rose 1.6 percent to 261,000 won on reports that it is making progress toward a merger with Dunamu, operator of Korea's largest virtual-asset exchange. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 1.8 percent to 48,928, a softer decline than Seoul’s but still burdened by the tech rout. Nvidia-linked suppliers were slammed: Advantest sank 10.3 percent to 18,695 yen, while Ibiden slid 8.3 percent to 11,495 yen. Some stocks, however, provided upside. Olympus jumped 5.24 percent to 2,098 yen after strong second-quarter results and a deeper push into medical devices. M3 added 7 percent to 2,637 yen. Mitsubishi Estate climbed 4.3 percent to 3,496 yen despite renewed chatter about yen carry-trade unwinding as the Bank of Japan inches closer to rate hikes. Taiwan’s TAIEX slid 2.9 percent to 26,638. TSMC dropped 3.44 percent to 1,405 Taiwan dollars, and MediaTek lost 3.4 percent to 1,145 Taiwan dollars. Chinese markets also softened. The Shanghai Composite dipped 1.1 percent to 3,887, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index lost 1.58 percent to 25,428, tracking the broader tech downturn across the region. 2025-11-21 11:23:48
  • Asian shares rise as Nvidias blowout earnings lift sentiment
    Asian shares rise as Nvidia's blowout earnings lift sentiment SEOUL, November 20 (AJP) - Asian markets rebounded in early Thursday trading as another round of blockbuster Nvidia earnings effectively silenced the “AI bubble” narrative. South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI climbed 2.6 percent to 4,030 as of 10:30 a.m., reclaiming the 4,000 mark for the first time in three days. Foreign investors turned net buyers at 267 billion won ($182 million), while institutions purchased 299 billion won. Retail investors, however, sold 577.5 billion won, locking in profits after recent volatility. The Korean won nonetheless weakened further, trading at 1,467.5 won per dollar, down 2 won from the previous session, amid suspected smoothing intervention as the pair approached 1,470. Just before markets opened, Nvidia announced at 7 a.m. KST that it had posted record third-quarter revenue of $57 billion and operating profit of $37.7 billion, the strongest in its history for the period. The news triggered an immediate reaction in semiconductor-heavy Asian markets, particularly Seoul. South Korean chipmakers rallied sharply. SK hynix rose 4.5 percent to 587,000 won, while Samsung Electronics gained 4.4 percent to 101,000 won, pushing the stock back above the psychologically important 100,000-won threshold. AI-related stocks also surged. Naver jumped 3.6 percent to 257,500 won, and Hyundai AutoEver added 2.8 percent to 191,500 won, supported by expectations that major Korean conglomerates will continue heavy investment in AI and software-defined vehicle technologies. Nuclear and power-equipment names advanced on expectations of rising electricity demand and optimism surrounding energy cooperation. Hyundai Engineering & Construction rose 3.1 percent to 62,500 won, while Doosan Enerbility gained 5.3 percent to 78,500 won, boosted by Wednesday’s announcement of a Korea–UAE memorandum of understanding on nuclear technology cooperation. Transformer manufacturers also rallied. HD Hyundai Electric increased 4.5 percent to 818,000 won, and Hyosung Heavy Industries climbed 3 percent to 2,080,000 won. Samsung Electro-Mechanics, a key supplier of circuit boards for AI data centers and automotive electronics, extended its momentum for a second day, rising 4.9 percent to 225,500 won. Japan’s Nikkei 225 posted the strongest gains in the region, soaring as much as 3.7 percent to 50,336. Semiconductor suppliers surged across the board, with Advantest up 10.7 percent to 21,200 yen ($135), Tokyo Electron up 6.4 percent, and Ibiden jumping 11.7 percent to 13,000 yen on strong sentiment tied to Nvidia’s results. Taiwan’s TAIEX opened 3 percent higher at 27,377.04, led by chipmakers. TSMC advanced 4.3 percent to 1,455 Taiwan dollars ($46.6), MediaTek added 1 percent, and Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn) climbed 3.3 percent. Mainland Chinese markets opened firmer as well. The Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.33 percent to 3,960, while the Shenzhen Composite gained 0.76 percent to 13,178. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index added 0.6 percent to 25,980 in early trading. 2025-11-20 11:13:07
  • Asian shares finish broadly lower as AI-bubble anxiety persist
    Asian shares finish broadly lower as AI-bubble anxiety persist SEOUL, November 19 (AJP) - Asian stocks edged lower for a second straight session on Wednesday, with investors remaining cautious ahead of Nvidia’s earnings and the growing “AI bubble” narrative that has weighed on sentiment across the region. South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI slipped 0.61 percent to 3,929.51, recovering part of its earlier plunge after falling as low as 3,854.95 in morning trade. Foreign investors sold a net 1.04 trillion won ($709 million), leading the downturn, while retail investors bought 446.5 billion won and institutions purchased 625.6 billion won, attempting to position for a potential rebound. The won showed no sign of stabilizing. As of 4:30 p.m., the currency weakened further to 1,465.6 won per dollar, up 4.6 won from the previous day. Market bellwethers pared back earlier losses, but remained far from a full rebound. Samsung Electronics fell 1.33 percent to 96,500 won, while SK hynix dropped 1.4 percent to 562,000 won. Hynix, Nvidia’s largest memory supplier, briefly broke below the 550,000-won level before recovering some losses late in the session. Not all AI-adjacent names were dragged down. Samsung Electro-Mechanics jumped 5.39 percent to 215,000 won, and Hyundai Autoever rose 2.92 percent to 186,500 won, buoyed by expectations of major AI-related investment from Samsung Group and Hyundai Motor Group. Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed 0.34 percent lower at 48,537.70, reversing early gains as regional weakness spread through the afternoon. Chip stocks stayed subdued. Advantest slipped 0.57 percent to 19,150 yen ($123.2), Tokyo Electron declined 1.97 percent to 30,860 yen, and Ibiden, known as a key Nvidia partner, tumbled 4.12 percent to 11,640 yen. Taiwan’s TAIEX also retreated, falling 0.66 percent to 26,580.12. Earlier strength in chip stocks faded as TSMC dropped 0.71 percent to 1,395 Taiwan dollars ($44.7) and MediaTek slipped 0.85 percent to 1,160 Taiwan dollars. China’s Shanghai Composite Index bucked the trend, edging up 0.18 percent to 3,946.74. Solar-related stocks were mixed. Cybrid Technologies, a maker of solar-panel backsheets, surged 10.02 percent to 13.62 yuan ($1.92) amid optimism over rising data-center demand and stabilizing silicon prices. Solareast Holdings, on the other hand, plunged 10.02 percent to 11.58 yuan on concerns about weakening earnings. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index traded 0.48 percent lower at 25,805, with tech stocks leading the decline. Xiaomi fell 4.81 percent to 38.82 Hong Kong dollars ($5), while EV maker Li Auto lost 2.6 percent to 71.3 Hong Kong dollars. 2025-11-19 18:03:26
  • HOT STOCK: Hyundai Autoever and Samsung Electro survive AI overvaluation scare
    HOT STOCK: Hyundai Autoever and Samsung Electro survive AI overvaluation scare SEOUL, November 19 (AJP) - Hyundai AutoEver and Samsung Electro-Mechanics were among a selective KOSPI stocks that managed to survive this week’s sharp rout triggered by fears of an AI-driven bubble ahead of Nvidia’s earnings release scheduled for Thursday. Hyundai AutoEver — the Hyundai Motor Group affiliate responsible for software development and next-generation mobility strategy — gained 2.92 percent to close Wednesday at 186,500 won ($127.1). Its rally was buoyed by Hyundai Motor Group’s pledge of a record 125 trillion won in domestic investment over the next five years. Of the total, 50 trillion won has been allocated for AI, software-defined vehicles (SDVs) and robotics — all core areas under AutoEver’s purview. The company is also expected to participate in the government’s planned “Physical AI” initiative, designed to support Korea’s foundational industries such as shipbuilding and defense. Another key catalyst was AutoEver’s inclusion in the KOSPI 200 index. The Korea Exchange (KRX) announced Tuesday that its stock-exchange steering committee approved the removal of eight constituents and the addition of seven new names, including AutoEver. The index represents roughly 80 percent of the KOSPI’s total market capitalization, firmly establishing AutoEver as a representative blue-chip stock. The company is on track to achieve revenue of 5 trillion won by 2027, said Kim Sung-rae, a researcher at Hanwha Investment & Securities, noting that “SI (system integration) is leading growth this year through higher-margin projects such as next-generation ERP and cloud services.” Samsung Electro-Mechanics also surged, climbing 5.39 percent to 215,000 won, boosted by overlapping tailwinds across its core businesses. The company is a major supplier of multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) and flip-chip ball-grid-array (FC-BGA) substrates — essential components for AI servers and automotive electronics — and demand has risen sharply. According to its Oct. 29 earnings release, the Components division, responsible for circuit-board production including MLCCs, posted 1.38 trillion won in revenue in the third quarter, up 8 percent quarter-on-quarter and 15 percent year-on-year. Operating profit also climbed to 260.3 billion won, up 22 percent quarter-on-quarter and 16 percent year-on-year. Factory utilization is nearly maxed out, jumping from 86 percent in Q3 2024 to approximately 99 percent this quarter, as demand from AI and automotive customers exceeded supply. Samsung Electro-Mechanics holds roughly 25 percent of the global MLCC market, second only to Murata Manufacturing’s 40 percent. However, in the AI-optimized MLCC segment, Samsung’s share is estimated at around 40 percent — effectively matching Murata and signaling growing competitiveness in next-generation components. The company is also strengthening its position in FC-BGA substrates, which connect high-performance semiconductors to motherboards and are well suited for AI data centers and automotive electronics due to their superior signal-transmission performance. “FC-BGA substrates are expected to remain fully booked through 2027,” said Park Jun-seo, a researcher at Mirae Asset Securities, adding that MLCC demand “will continue to increase as power requirements for AI processing expand.” 2025-11-19 17:24:46
  • Asian markets hold breath ahead of Nvidia earnings release for cue on AI-bubble theory
    Asian markets hold breath ahead of Nvidia earnings release for cue on AI-bubble theory SEOUL, November 19 (AJP) - Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday morning as investors across the region braced for Nvidia’s earnings release — a crucial test for the burgeoning “AI bubble” narrative — while Korean markets continued to reel from heavy foreign profit-taking and a weakening won. South Korea’s KOSPI slipped 0.3 percent to 3,942.1 as of 11 a.m., with investors sidelining ahead of Nvidia’s results due at 6 a.m. Thursday Korea time. Foreign investors sold 530 billion won ($361 million) worth of shares, extending their recent offloading streak. Institutions bought 304.3 billion won, while retail investors picked up 237.1 billion won, maintaining dip-buying patterns. The won weakened further, with the dollar rising to 1,464.8 won as of 10 a.m. Analysts attribute the currency’s undervaluation to Korea’s expansionary fiscal stance and the Bank of Korea’s limited room for rate hikes amid high household debt — a combination seen pressuring equities and prompting foreign outflows. Market heavyweights Samsung Electronics and SK hynix extended declines. SK hynix — a key supplier to Nvidia — fell 2.11 percent to 558,000 won, hovering near the psychologically important 550,000-won line. Samsung Electronics slid 1.75 percent to 96,000 won. In contrast, Hyundai Motor–related stocks rose after Hyundai Motor Group announced 125 trillion won in five-year investments for AI and software-defined vehicles (SDVs). Software arm Hyundai Autoever jumped 3.5 percent to 188,000 won. Japan’s Nikkei 225 recovered from early losses to gain 0.6 percent to 49,000. Semiconductor suppliers with Nvidia exposure extended their slide for a second day: Advantest fell 2.05 percent to 18,865 yen ($121.35), while Ibiden edged down 0.66 percent to 12,040 yen. SoftBank — which fully exited its Nvidia holdings — climbed 2.8 percent to 19,355 yen. Taiwan’s TAIEX gained 0.32 percent to 26,841, with chip sentiment notably more resilient than in Korea or Japan. TSMC rose 0.36 percent to 1,410 Taiwan dollars ($45.2), while MediaTek added 1.28 percent to 1,185 Taiwan dollars. China’s Shanghai Composite opened 0.2 percent higher at 3,948, while the Shenzhen Composite gained 0.4 percent to 13,140. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index also opened firmer, rising 0.2 percent to 25,980. 2025-11-19 11:05:04
  • Nvidia-related rout spills over to Asian markets, spoiling Baby Shark creators KOSDAQ debut
    Nvidia-related rout spills over to Asian markets, spoiling Baby Shark creator's KOSDAQ debut SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - The Wall Street tech rout — fueled by renewed concerns over Nvidia’s overvaluation — spilled into Asia on Tuesday, hammering semiconductor names and dragging down major regional indices. South Korea’s KOSPI plunged 3.32 percent to 3,953.62, losing the symbolically important 4,000 level. Sentiment soured after news that Thiel Macro — the hedge fund founded by Palantir Technologies chairman Peter Thiel — had fully liquidated its Nvidia stake. Foreign investors dumped 440 billion won ($300 million) of shares, while institutions unloaded 677 billion won, deepening the sell-off. Individual investors, however, stepped in with 1.24 trillion won in bargain hunting. SK hynix led the decline among heavyweight stocks, tumbling 5.94 percent to 570,000 won. Samsung Electronics slid 2.78 percent to 97,800 won. Shipbuilding stocks — buoyed early in the session by optimism over the Korea–U.S. trade fact sheet — also reversed. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, which touched 626,000 won intraday, ended flat at 603,000 won, while Hanwha Ocean slipped 2.37 percent to 127,800 won. The tech-heavy KOSDAQ shed 2.66 percent to 878.70, falling below 900. The broad selling pressure spoiled the much-anticipated debut of The Pinkfong Company, creator of the global “Baby Shark” hit. Shares closed at 41,500 won, up 9.34 percent from the IPO price of 38,000 won — positive but well short of expectations for a stronger first-day pop. Japan’s Nikkei 225 also tumbled, losing 3.22 percent to 48,702.98 and slipping below the 50,000 mark. As in Seoul, Nvidia-linked suppliers were hit hardest. Advantest fell 3.7 percent to 19,260 yen ($124), Tokyo Electron dropped 5.47 percent to 31,480 yen, and semiconductor circuit-board supplier Ibiden posted the steepest loss with an 8.48 percent plunge to 12,140 yen. Taiwan’s TAIEX also declined as tech stocks dragged the market lower. Chipmaking titan TSMC, Nvidia’s largest foundry partner, slid 2.77 percent to 1,405 Taiwan dollars ($45), while chip designer MediaTek dropped 4.88 percent to 1,170 Taiwan dollars. China’s Shanghai Composite Index dipped 0.81 percent to 3,939.81, a milder fall compared with Seoul, Tokyo and Taipei but still weighed down by weaker-than-expected Singles’ Day consumption. The Shenzhen Composite Index lost 0.92 percent to 13,080.49. The sharpest correction in Greater China was seen in Hong Kong, where the Hang Seng Index dropped 1.86 percent to 25,893.06. Lenovo fell 4.46 percent to 9.64 Hong Kong dollars ($1.24) after Nomura cut its target price from 14 to 11 Hong Kong dollars, worsening the broader tech slump. BYD slid 3.82 percent to 96.85 Hong Kong dollars amid renewed concerns over margin pressure and supply gluts in China’s EV market. 2025-11-18 17:07:30
  • Asian shares slide as Nvidia-linked stocks tumble; Baby Shark creators KOSDAQ debut modest
    Asian shares slide as Nvidia-linked stocks tumble; Baby Shark creator's KOSDAQ debut modest SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - Asian markets fell broadly on Tuesday morning, dragged down by sharp losses in Nvidia-linked stocks after renewed selling by major U.S. hedge funds, while the “Baby Shark” creator’s KOSDAQ debut drew less fanfare than expected. South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI dropped 1.55 percent to 4,025.95 as of 10:30 a.m., pressured by reports that Thiel Macro — the hedge fund founded by Palantir Technologies chairman Peter Thiel — had liquidated its entire Nvidia stake. Additional reports that several hedge funds were trimming exposure to the Magnificent 7 (M7) further weighed on sentiment. Foreign investors, who often adjust their positioning in Korean chipmakers based on Nvidia developments, sold 13 billion won ($8.9 million) worth of local shares. Institutions offloaded a larger 178 billion won, while retail investors stepped in to buy dips with net purchases of 167 billion won. Tech bellwethers Samsung Electronics and SK hynix both declined. Samsung eased 1 percent to 99,600 won, while SK hynix fell 4 percent to 582,000 won, marking the steepest drop among major constituents. In contrast, shipbuilding stocks continued to climb following last week’s bilateral tariff-negotiation factsheet that boosted expectations for expanded defense cooperation. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, a key producer of military submarines, rose 3.3 percent to 625,000 won, while Hanwha Ocean added 1 percent to 132,300 won. The KOSDAQ fell 1.47 percent to 889.3. The Pinkfong Company — globally known for its viral hit “Baby Shark” — made its KOSDAQ debut, jumping 36.3 percent from its IPO price to 51,800 won even as most other mid- to large-cap names traded lower. Japan’s Nikkei 225 also slumped under heavy selling pressure, falling 2.1 percent to 49,279 as of 10:30 a.m. Nvidia-linked stocks led the declines in Tokyo as well: chip-testing equipment maker Advantest slid 2.3 percent to 19,540 yen ($125.9), while Tokyo Electron tumbled 4 percent to 31,960 yen. Chinese markets posted comparatively mild declines but remained weighed down by persistent concerns over economic stagnation. The Shanghai Composite Index opened 0.19 percent lower at 3,965, showing no post–Singles’ Day lift, while the Shenzhen Composite slipped 0.34 percent to 13,160. Taiwan’s TAIEX fell 0.88 percent to 27,206, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index dropped 1.12 percent to 26,090. 2025-11-18 11:21:41