(LEAD) Seoul shares dip over 3 pct amid escalating AI woes

Seoul's stock market saw a significant drop of over 3 percent on Tuesday, as tech shares suffered amid increasing concerns over heavy artificial intelligence (AI) investments. The Korean won strengthened against the U.S. dollar. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) started the day down 2.46 percent, and closed at 5,648.79, a loss of 210.29 points or 3.59 percent from the opening bell.

The trading volume was relatively low at 192.4 million shares, worth 14.1 trillion won ($10.5 billion), with more shares falling than rising (656 to 220). Foreign investors and institutions were net sellers, offloading a combined total of 2.0 trillion won, while domestic investors bought 1.7 trillion won in shares.

Tech and AI-related stocks, particularly the Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500, also suffered on Wall Street, falling by 1.07 percent and 0.51 percent, respectively. They were weighed down by recent disappointing earnings reports from major tech companies. Moreover, investors were skeptical about the benefits of massive spending on AI infrastructure, given the aforementioned earnings disappointments.

Analyst Kim Seok-hwan from Mirae Asset Securities voiced concerns over the profitability of AI investments, stating that the sharp decline in chip shares on the U.S. market on the first trading day of November had a substantial impact on the Korean market. Semiconductor shares, led by Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, were among the biggest losers, falling 4.15 percent and 5.03 percent, respectively.

The internet portal Naver and rival Kakao also experienced declines, with Naver down 3.65 percent and Kakao 3.03 percent. Oil refiners were negatively affected by falling crude prices, following hopes for a diplomatic solution in the Middle East. SK Innovation and S-Oil saw the largest percentage drops, with SK Innovation falling 9.36 percent and S-Oil losing 11.77 percent. The South Korean won closed at 1,341 against the U.S. dollar, reflecting a 2.8 won increase from the previous trading session.