KOSPI rebounds over 3% as chipmakers lead broad rally SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - South Korean stocks closed higher on Tuesday, with the benchmark KOSPI advancing more than 3 percent as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix led a rebound in semiconductor shares. The KOSPI rose 231.68 points or 3.56 percent to close at 6,747.95 as a buy-side sidecar was activated on the main bourse after the index's gains accelerated. It opened 0.58 percent higher at 6,553.88 and fell to an intraday low of 6,429.03 during early volatile trading before clim July 21, 2026

Seoul steps in as ETF crash takes toll on retirees and minors SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - A crash inevitably leaves collateral damage, and the nearly 50 percent plunge in leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) linked to chip behemoths Samsung Electronics and SK hynix has hit some of South Korea's most vulnerable investors, wiping out retirement savings and money invested on behalf of minors. "Were we guinea pigs?" one investor wrote after watching losses mount in the newly launched single-stock leveraged ETFs. "Will anybody he July 21, 2026

KOSPI tests newly formed floor around 6,500 with retail return SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI tested a newly formed floor around the 6,500 mark Tuesday as retail investors returned, helping stabilize the market after Monday's rout. The benchmark index traded around 6,530 after the opening bell, swinging between gains and losses after tumbling 4.5 percent on Monday to close at 6,516.30, its steepest one-day decline this year. Early optimism that the selloff was easing faded as foreign buying quickly lost momentu July 21, 2026

Hanwha Solutions rights issue cut to $810 million after 21% discount SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) -Hanwha Solutions has bowed to regulatory scrutiny by finalizing on Monday a scaled-back 1.17 trillion won ($810 million) rights offering, less than half the 2.4 trillion won it originally planned to raise. The final fundraising reflects months of regulatory intervention and investor backlash that forced repeated revisions to one of South Korea's largest equity offerings this year, before a slide in the company's share price further reduced the proceed July 21, 2026

Samchundang Pharm shares surge on hopes for diabetes generic SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) - KOSDAQ-listed drugmaker Samchundang Pharm saw its shares soar on Monday amid expectations that its diabetes drug would move a step closer to entering the U.S. pharmaceutical market. Its shares surged 29.82 percent to close at the daily trading limit of 239,000 won after the drugmaker said it had received a written response from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding its oral semaglutide generic, a pill for Type 2 diabetes, although the approval July 20, 2026

KOSPI drops 4.5% as sell sidecars hit both markets SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) - Korean stocks closed sharply lower Monday, with the benchmark KOSPI losing more than 4 percent and the KOSDAQ falling more than 5 percent as sell-side sidecars were activated in both markets. The KOSPI dropped 304.33 points, or 4.46 percent, to close at 6,516.27. The index opened 2.60 percent lower at 6,643.58. It climbed as high as 6,814.86 during the session before falling to an intraday low of 6,472.80. The selloff followed a buildup of investor anx July 20, 2026

Won holds at 1,478 as strong dollar offsets BOK hike; bond yields climb SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) - The South Korean won ended nearly unchanged Monday as a strong dollar and renewed U.S.-Iran tensions offset support from the Bank of Korea’s interest-rate increase last week. Government bond yields rose as investors continued to price in the possibility of further monetary tightening. The won closed the daytime trading session at 1,478.4 per dollar, up 0.1 won from the previous session. The currency showed little reaction to the BOK’s decis July 20, 2026

Bio, fashion IPOs seek to inject life into subdued KOSDAQ SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) — South Korea's KOSDAQ, which turned 30 this month but has fallen 14 percent this year while the KOSPI has surged more than 60 percent, will look to a handful of biotechnology and fashion IPOs this week to revive its subdued listing market. The listings come as the KOSDAQ's fundraising market remains sluggish. Only 25 companies debuted on the exchange in the first half, down from 37 a year earlier, while total IPO proceeds fell to 740 billion won ( July 20, 2026

Blackstone buys Busan-based actuator maker Futronic SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) -Blackstone has bought a majority stake in South Korean actuator and motion-control technology company Futronic in a deal that values the Busan-based company at about 1 trillion won ($720 million), according to multiple local media outlets. The two companies are yet to announce the deal or disclose the financial terms. The investment is being made in partnership with Futronic founder and Chairman Ko Jin-ho, who will remain chairman and chief executive off July 20, 2026

Four in 10 Korean listed firms face weaker Q2 SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) —Nearly four out of 10 South Korean listed companies are expected to post weaker second-quarter earnings than previously anticipated as the economic fallout from the prolonged Middle East conflict spread across much of corporate Korea, with the windfall from the semiconductor and stock market rally largely confined to a handful of industries. According to financial data provider FnGuide, operating profit forecasts for the April-June quarter were revised l July 20, 2026