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Won gains on NPS hedge; bonds rebound
SEOUL, June 09 (AJP) - The South Korean won extended its gains for a second straight day Tuesday after foreign exchange authorities formalized currency hedging measures for the National Pension Service (NPS). The bond market also rebounded for the first time in four sessions, helped by bargain-hunting and reports that the Bank of Japan (BOJ) may keep its government bond purchases at current levels. In the Seoul foreign exchange market, the won closed at 1,512.1 per dollar, up 22.9 w
June 9, 2026
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KOSPI recoups most of Black Monday losses with volatility at all-time high SEOUL, June 09 (AJP) -South Korean stocks recouped most of Monday's historic losses in a dramatic rebound Tuesday, underscoring the extreme volatility that has made the local market one of Asia's most turbulent trading venues. The benchmark KOSPI surged 8.18 percent to close at 8,096.93, recovering nearly all of the previous session's 8.29 percent plunge. The tech-heavy KOSDAQ also rebounded sharply, rising 6.19 percent to 967.81. The violent swing pushed South Korea& June 9, 2026 -
Korean markets quickly recoup Black Monday losses, key indexes up over 7% SEOUL, June 09 (AJP) - Korea's stock bourses roared back more than 7 percent Tuesday afternoon to retrace most of the circuit-breaker crash that had gutted it a day earlier, as a chip rally quickly resumed after the upgraded first-quarter GDP data confirmed chip-related activities more than fended the economy from external shocks. The KOSPI surged 7.4 percent to climb back above 8,000. while smaller KOSDAQ also jumped 7 percent to 977.57 as of 2:00 p.m. SK hynix led the charg June 9, 2026 -
KOSPI claws back about half of Monday's rout on retail buying SEOUL, June 09 (AJP) -South Korea's benchmark KOSPI rebounded nearly 4 percent at the opening bell Tuesday as retail investors rushed in to buy stocks battered in the previous session's 8 percent selloff. The buying centered on the country's memory-chip giants. SK hynix jumped 6.2 percent to 2,030,000 won ($1,326.2) after sliding nearly 8 percent a day earlier, while Samsung Electronics rose 4.0 percent to 307,250 won following a roughly 10 percent plunge. The KOSPI was June 9, 2026 -
Won recovers after verbal intervention while bond sell-off deepens SEOUL, June 8 (AJP) - The South Korean won slightly recovered on Monday after a series of verbal warnings from financial authorities, which prompted traders to pull back from their dollar bets. There was also speculation that authorities may have directly intervened in the market. In Seoul, the won closed at 1,548.2 per dollar after opening at 1,555.2 and briefly rising to 1,560 before reversing sharply in morning trade. The turnaround was largely attributed to policy interventio June 8, 2026 -
KOSPI plunges over 8% as chip stocks slide SEOUL, June 8 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI closed down 8.3 percent on Monday, shedding 676.18 points to 7,484.41 in one of its steepest single-day falls on record, after a U.S. semiconductor rout tripped circuit breakers on both of Seoul's main markets and gutted the chip giants that anchor the index. Samsung Electronics collapsed 10.2 percent to 295,500 won (US$192.4) and SK Hynix fell 7.7 percent to 1,911,000 won, the two memory-chip makers alone accountin June 8, 2026 -
Shinsegae chief to take helm of retail and real estate arms SEOUL, June 8 (AJP) - Shinsegae Group chairman Chung Yong-jin will take the chief executive roles at two core affiliates, retailer E-mart and developer Shinsegae Property, a move the group framed as answering market demands that he be directly accountable for the businesses he leads. The decision places the chairman atop both the group's retail backbone and the unit driving its push into artificial intelligence infrastructure, following a controversy at its Starbucks Korea opera June 8, 2026 -
Fear of rate hikes drives corporate lending surge in Q1 SEOUL, June 8 (AJP) - Corporate loans in South Korea grew the most since the third quarter of 2022, as companies increased borrowing in the first three months of this year, according to data released by the Bank of Korea (BOK) on Monday. Outstanding industrial loans by deposit-taking institutions stood at 2,061.8 trillion won (US$1.33 trillion) at the end of March, up 35.6 trillion won from the previous quarter. The increase widened sharply from an 8.5 trillion won gain in the fourt June 8, 2026 -
Kakao recovers after hitting one-year low, but investors remain skeptical of AI push SEOUL, June 8 (AJP) - Kakao fell to 37,600 won on Monday morning, hitting a fresh 52-week low before recovering much of the decline. The sharp swings suggested that investors remain unconvinced that the messaging giant's push into artificial intelligence is driving the user engagement needed to support a recovery. Roughly 96,700 retail investors holding the stock remain deep in the red, sitting on an average loss of more than 50 percent against an average purchase price of 83, June 8, 2026 -
Won hits 17-yr low at open, bonds extend losses SEOUL, June 8 (AJP) - The South Korean won fell to its weakest level at the start of trading on Monday, hitting a 17-year low as the currency was battered by expectations of a hawkish Fed and speculative offshore bets amid the prolonged conflict in the Middle East. The domestic debt market also suffered a severe rout, spreading intense volatility across broader financial markets. The won opened at 1,555.2 won per dollar, tumbling 16.1 won from the previous session. This marks the June 8, 2026

