Key facts
- The KOSPI opened 0.2 percent higher on Thursday, November 12, 2026, then turned negative, losing 11.32 points, or 0.21 percent, to 5,364.04 as of 9:15 a.m.
- Nvidia fell after the bell on November 11 after the Wall Street Journal reported that its board was preparing to oust CEO Jensen Huang.
- The New York Times reported that Huang had an extramarital affair with a company executive who reported to him, Yonhap reported.
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.49 percent, the S&P 500 gained 1.31 percent and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.6 percent.
- Samsung Electronics added 0.73 percent while SK hynix fell 0.55 percent and Naver sank 3.4 percent.
- The Korean won was quoted at 1,332.9 won against the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., up 3.3 won from the previous close.
South Korean shares turned lower on Thursday, November 12, 2026, after opening higher, as controversies around Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang weighed on Seoul trading despite a tech-led rally on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index opened 0.2 percent higher, then lost 11.32 points, or 0.21 percent, to 5,364.04 as of 9:15 a.m., Yonhap News Agency reported.
Overnight on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.49 percent, the S&P 500 gained 1.31 percent and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.6 percent. Strong earnings from neocloud firm CoreWeave eased investor concerns over the profitability of massive AI investment, Yonhap reported.
Nvidia fell after the bell as the Wall Street Journal reported that the company's board was preparing to oust Huang. Later, a New York Times report said Huang had an extramarital affair with a company executive who reported to him, while Huang admitted that he had a relationship with a suspected Chinese spy, according to Yonhap.
In Seoul, semiconductor shares were mixed. Samsung Electronics added 0.73 percent, chipmaker SK hynix fell 0.55 percent and Hanmi Semiconductor, a chip equipment maker, decreased 2.39 percent. Internet company Naver, where Nvidia is the third-largest shareholder, sank 3.4 percent, and rival Kakao lost 0.31 percent. Hyundai Motor dropped 1.1 percent and Kia declined 1.06 percent.
The Korean won was quoted at 1,332.9 won against the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., up 3.3 won from the previous trading session's close.