Kospi reverses opening losses as chipmakers rebound

South Korea’s Kospi opened 0.56% lower at 5,209.71 on Wednesday as stronger-than-expected US inflation weighed on sentiment across Asia. The Seoul benchmark recovered within 15 minutes and later rose about 1.6% to 5,321.10, with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix helping drive the turnaround.

Seoul shakes off a weak start
The Kospi fell 29.42 points at the opening bell after rising 4.39% on Tuesday, when gains in US technology shares and lower oil prices lifted the Korean market. By 9.15am Seoul time on Wednesday, the index had climbed to 5,252.84, up 0.26% from the previous close. It extended that gain to 0.68% by 11.20am.

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix were both lower early in the session before turning higher. Samsung later gained 2.3%, while SK Hynix rose 3.4%. The won also strengthened, trading at 1,337.20 per US dollar at 11.20am, compared with 1,344.50 at the previous close.

US inflation weighs on the opening
US consumer prices rose 0.3% month on month in October, exceeding expectations and fuelling concerns that the Federal Reserve could raise interest rates again. The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.74% overnight, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.3%. Seoul initially followed Wall Street lower before its two leading chipmakers recovered.

Asian markets diverge
Japan’s Nikkei 225 was broadly flat in early trading before rising 0.8% by the midday break. Taiwan’s Taiex gained 2.1% in morning trade, with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company up 3.1% after reporting strong October revenue growth.

Hong Kong and mainland China began the day lower. The Hang Seng opened down 0.83% at 24,354, while the Shanghai Composite slipped 0.22% and the Shenzhen Component fell 0.32%. The gains in Seoul and Taiwan stood out for their concentration in semiconductor shares, even as the US inflation surprise kept interest rates in focus across the region.

NewsHub Finance | Markets | 11 November 2026