On the 11th, the KOSPI index started to decline amid concerns that the U.S.-China trade war would intensify, as it was reported that the total tariff rate against China reached 145%. The KOSDAQ index also showed a weak decline.
As of 9:09 a.m. on that day, the KOSPI index recorded a decrease of 37.59 points (-1.54%) to 2407.47 compared to the previous day. The KOSPI index started the day at 2400.74, down 1.81%. In the securities market, foreign investors and institutions sold a net of 441 million won and 88 million won, respectively, while individuals bought 518 million won.
In the top market capitalization stocks, there was a broad decline. SK hynix, LG Energy Solution, and Hyundai Motor fell more than 3%, and Celltrion and Kia were also down by around 2%. Samsung Electronics (-1.77%), Samsung Electronics preferred shares (-1.39%), Hanwha Aerospace (-1.15%) are also declining. In contrast, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries saw an increase of nearly 5%.
At the same time, the KOSDAQ index was trading at 679.27, down by 2.52 points (0.37%) from the previous day. The KOSDAQ index started trading at 673.09, down 1.28%. In the KOSDAQ market, in contrast to the securities market, individuals sold a net of 182 million won, while foreign investors and institutions bought a net of 156 million won and 29 million won, respectively.
The top KOSDAQ stocks showed mixed results. Ecopro BM, Ecopro, HLB, and Sam Chun Dang Pharm were down more than 2%, while HUGEL (-1.20%) and Alteogen (-0.14%) also faced declines. In contrast, LigaChem Biosciences (1.91%), Rainbow Robotics (1.54%), and PharmaResearch (1.00%) were rising.
On that day, in the Seoul foreign exchange market, the won-to-dollar exchange rate started trading at 1454 won, down by 2.4 won compared to the previous day.
Overnight, U.S. stocks fell sharply as it was confirmed that the total tariff rate applied by the Trump administration to China was higher than the previously known rate of 125%, at 145%. Concerns about an economic recession due to escalating U.S.-China trade tensions intensified, leading to a dampening of investor sentiment.
On the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 39,593.66, down 2.50% from the previous trading day. The Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 index ended down 3.46% at 5268.05, while the Nasdaq index recorded a sharp drop of 4.31% to 16,387.31.
The large tech stock group, "Magnificent 7 (M7)," also fell significantly. Tesla dropped 7.27%, and Nvidia fell 5.91%. Meta (-6.74%), Amazon (-5.17%), and Apple (-4.24%) also saw substantial losses.