{
  "id": 8133700,
  "title": "Seoul stocks open sharply higher on eased inflation woes",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/seoul-stocks-open-sharply-higher-on-eased-inflation-woes-8133700",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-18T00:42:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/economy/20260918/seoul-stocks-open-sharply-higher-on-eased-inflation-woes"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Friday saw Seoul stocks open significantly higher, mirroring gains made overnight on Wall Street. This surge can be attributed to falling oil prices and the Federal Reserve's decision to raise interest rates for the first time in over three years, which has helped to ease inflation concerns. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), a key benchmark, experienced a rise of 150.53 points, or 2.24 percent, bringing it to a level of 6,865.94 as of 9:15 a.m. Overnight, Wall Street stocks ended on a positive note, with investor sentiment bolstered by the decline in oil prices and reduced pressure from the U.S. bond market. The S&P 500 increased by 1.14 percent, while the tech-focused Nasdaq climbed 1.69 percent. The price of Brent Crude oil fell by nearly 1 percent, settling around US$104 per barrel. This decline in oil prices also contributed to a reduction in bond market yields. In Seoul, major market players were predominantly trading higher. Samsung Electronics witnessed a gain of 2.87 percent, SK hynix increased by 4.53 percent, LG Energy Solution saw a modest rise of 0.41 percent, Hyundai Motor rose by 1.52 percent, and KB Financial, a major financial institution, declined by 1.45 percent.",
  "summary": "Seoul stocks opened sharply higher Friday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street as falling oil prices and the Federal Reserve's rate hike eased inflation woes. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) was up 150.53 points, or 2.24 percent, to 6,865.94 as of 9:15 a.m. Overnight, stocks on Wall Street closed higher as investor sentiment improved on falling oil prices and easing…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "(URGENT) Seoul stocks open sharply higher on eased inflation woes",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/urgent-seoul-stocks-open-sharply-higher-on-eased-inflation-woes",
        "published": "2026-09-18T00:01:26.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Seoul stocks open sharply higher on eased inflation woes",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/seoul-stocks-open-sharply-higher-on-eased-inflation-woes",
        "published": "2026-09-18T00:32:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}