KOSPI tumbles as Democrat sweep fuels AI infrastructure concerns

Korean stocks experienced a sharp decline on Thursday, as worries surrounding stricter U.S. regulations on artificial intelligence (AI) and data center development sparked a widespread sell-off in semiconductor shares, following the Democrats' decisive wins in the midterm elections. The KOSPI index, which serves as a benchmark for the Korean stock market, opened at 5,580.09, representing a 1.82 percent decrease from the previous day's close.

Throughout the trading session, the KOSPI remained in the red, ultimately closing at 5,383.80, marking a substantial 5.28 percent drop.

The primary driver behind the selling spree was the sharp decline in the prices of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, the two leading semiconductor companies in Korea. Together, these two giants constitute nearly half of the total market capitalization of the KOSPI index. Consequently, their outsized influence left the index particularly susceptible to fluctuations in sentiment towards the chip sector.

SK hynix saw its shares plummet by 9.46 percent, reaching a closing price of 1.26 million won, while Samsung Electronics' stock plummeted by 7.57 percent, settling at 201,500 won.

The deterioration in the fortunes of Korean chip stocks mirrored a broader sell-off in related U.S. shares overnight. Nvidia, a major player in the AI and semiconductor sectors, witnessed a 3.17 percent decrease in its stock price. Similarly, chip manufacturers Micron and SanDisk experienced declines of 7 percent and 7.91 percent, respectively.