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

KOSPI crashes over 8% at open as US chip rout hits Seoul SEOUL, June 8 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI plunged 8.4 percent at the open Monday, shedding 683.1 points to 7,477.5 within the first minutes of trade, as a Friday rout in US semiconductor shares spilled into Seoul and dragged the index to its steepest opening drop in years. The decline was led by Samsung Electronics, which opened down 9.3 percent at 298,500 won (US$192.2), and SK Hynix, down 8.0 percent at 1,904,000 won. The two memory-chip giants account for a substant June 8, 2026

South Korea posts 2nd-fastest OECD growth on chip boom, but long-term risks mount SEOUL, June 7 (AJP) - South Korea posted the second-fastest economic growth among major economies in the first quarter, driven by a semiconductor boom. According to data released by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on Sunday, South Korea's real gross domestic product (GDP) grew 1.7 percent in the first three months of this year, ranking second among 35 member countries. Only Denmark grew faster at 1.9 percent, while the OECD average stood at 0 June 7, 2026

Semiconductor selloff raises questions over AI rally SEOUL, June 5 (AJP) - A sharp selloff in semiconductor stocks is raising questions about the future of the artificial intelligence-driven rally, following HSBC's prediction on Thursday that the current chip boom is entering a broader phase, with gains spreading beyond chipmakers. While chipmakers such as Nvidia have dominated the AI rally so far, HSBC, one of the world's largest banking groups, said that the current AI cycle has produced an uneven pattern of growth, with AI- June 5, 2026

Won plummets past 1,540 as bonds extend losses SEOUL, June 5 (AJP) - South Korea's financial markets remained unsettled on Friday as the won-dollar exchange rate closed at about 1,540 won, for the first time in nearly 17 years and bond yields extended their rise. Heavy foreign selling in local equities continued to weigh on the won and debt markets, while traders saw no clear signs of actual intervention by foreign exchange authorities. In the Seoul foreign exchange market, the exchange rate closed at 1,539.1, down 9.4 fr June 5, 2026

'Black Friday' chip sell-off sends KOSPI plunging more than 5% SEOUL, June 5 (AJP) - South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI plunged more than 5 percent on Friday to close at 8,161.59 points, as semiconductor stocks led a sharp sell-off across global markets. The decline followed an artificial intelligence (AI)-led chip outlook from U.S. chipmaker Broadcom, which reignited fears that the AI boom has run ahead of itself. The drop of about 479 points from the previous session was sharp enough to trigger a "sidecar," an automatic curb on pro June 5, 2026

Won weakens further as KOSPI drops over 6% SEOUL, June 5 (AJP) - The South Korean won continued weakening on Friday, with the exchange rate climbing to 1,542 per dollar around noon, from the previous session's close of 1,529.70. The decline came less than a day after the exchange rate weakened past 1,540 won during extended trading, marking its highest intraday level since the global financial crisis. It appears to be largely due to a sharp sell-off in South Korean stocks. The country's benchmark KOSPI tumbled mor June 5, 2026

KOSPI slides on semiconductor-led broad sell-off SEOUL, June 5 (AJP) - South Korean stocks fell sharply on Friday as investors took profits from a recent rally, with heavyweight semiconductor shares leading declines after an overnight sell-off in U.S. chipmakers. The benchmark KOSPI fell 6.26 percent to 8,098.52 in early trade, while the junior KOSDAQ dropped 4.65 percent to 1,000.9. The won also weakened further, trading at 1,531.70 against the dollar, compared with a previous close of 1,529.70. Semiconductor-related shares June 5, 2026

KOSPI opens sharply lower after Wall Street chip sell-off, prompting sidecar halt SEOUL, June 5 (AJP) - South Korean stocks plunged in early trading on Friday, prompting a temporary halt on program sell orders as investors dumped semiconductor shares following an overnight sell-off in U.S. chipmakers. Just 30 minutes into Friday's trading session, the benchmark KOSPI was down 5.65 percent at 8,151.63, while the junior KOSDAQ shed 3.67 percent to 1,011.25. According to the Korea Exchange, a sell-side sidecar was activated at 9:08:25 a.m. after a sharp dec June 5, 2026