Key facts
- Samsung Electronics jumped 7.09 percent.
- SK hynix climbed 7.2 percent.
- Institutions and foreigners bought a net 148.32 billion won (US$112 million) and 320.52 billion won worth of stocks, respectively.
- Retail investors sold a net 1 trillion won.
Seoul shares extended gains late Wednesday morning, led by a rebound in technology stocks, despite concerns over heavy investment in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 227.93 points, or 4.1 percent, to 5,780.67 as of 11:20 a.m., rebounding after a nearly 4 percent fall in the previous session. Institutions and foreigners bought a net 148.32 billion won (US$112 million) and 320.52 billion won worth of stocks, respectively, while retail investors sold a net 1 trillion won. Strong earnings from some technology companies helped revive investor interest in tech stocks, with investors turning their attention to earnings reports from Meta Platforms and other technology companies due this week. The Korea Exchange activated a buy-side sidecar for the KOSPI market at 10:51 a.m. after a sharp rise in the KOSPI 200 Futures Index, temporarily suspending program trading orders for five minutes. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics jumped 7.09 percent, and its chipmaking rival SK hynix climbed 7.2 percent. National flag carrier Korean Air gained 1.9 percent, and Hyundai Steel was up 2.14 percent. Among decliners, top carmaker Hyundai Motor fell 0.16 percent and leading steelmaker POSCO Holdings declined 0.33 percent. The Korean won was trading at 1,327.1 won against the U.S. dollar as of 11:20 a.m., down 1.1 won from the previous session's close.