{
  "id": 2972744,
  "title": "KOSPI plunges more than 3% as Samsung, SK hynix shares tumble",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/kospi-plunges-more-than-3-as-samsung-sk-hynix-shares-tumble",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-08-24T08:02:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/economy/others/20260824/kospi-plunges-more-than-3-as-samsung-sk-hynix-shares-tumble"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The KOSPI index experienced a sharp decline of over 3% on Monday, as the performance of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix shares dragged down the overall market. This downturn marked a reversal from the previous two days, when the index had seen gains due to expectations that the semiconductor giants would contribute positively to shareholder returns. The benchmark index commenced trading 31.88 points, or 0.46%, lower at 6,881.07, only to plunge further by closing 215.99 points, or 3.12%, lower at 6,696.96. Foreign investors played a significant role in this sell-off, disposing of a net 3.69 trillion won worth of KOSPI shares. Institutional investors followed suit, selling 1.29 trillion won. In contrast, retail investors bucked the market trend by making net purchases of 3.32 trillion won, which somewhat mitigated the losses. The magnitude of the losses in Samsung Electronics and SK hynix shares was largely attributed to the differences in shareholder return measures announced last week. Last Wednesday, SK hynix announced plans to repurchase 40 trillion won worth of its own shares and to retire them fully, while also committing to return at least 50% of its free cash flow to shareholders.",
  "summary": "The KOSPI fell more than 3 percent Monday as weakness in Samsung Electronics and SK hynix weighed on the broader market, reversing gains posted over the previous two sessions on expectations that the two semiconductor heavyweights would boost shareholder returns. The benchmark index opened 31.88 points, or 0.46 percent, lower at 6,881.07 before extending its losses to close at 6,696.96, down…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Samsung Electronics shares fall after shareholder return announcement",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/samsung-electronics-shares-fall-after-shareholder-return-announcement",
        "published": "2026-08-24T00:18:49.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Investing.com",
        "title": "Samsung Electronics shares skid as record shareholder returns disappoint",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/samsung-electronics-shares-skid-as-record-shareholder-returns-2921457",
        "published": "2026-08-24T02:06:29.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Seeking Alpha News",
        "title": "Samsung Electronics shares drop over 8% as $79B capital return plan disappoints",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/samsung-electronics-shares-drop-over-8-as-79b-capital-return-plan",
        "published": "2026-08-24T04:32:05.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "KOSPI plunges more than 3% as Samsung, SK hynix shares tumble",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/kospi-plunges-more-than-3-as-samsung-sk-hynix-shares-tumble-2974220",
        "published": "2026-08-24T08:07:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}