Seoul, 31 July 2026 – South Korea’s stock market has swung from severe losses to a record-breaking rebound, exposing the risks created by heavy concentration in two semiconductor champions and increasingly leveraged investor positioning. The benchmark KOSPI surged by more than 16% after several punishing sessions, producing one of the most dramatic reversals in modern Asian markets.
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix led the recovery after falling sharply on concerns about AI spending, capacity expansion and Chinese competition. Their enormous index weight means movements in the two companies can overwhelm the performance of banks, industrial groups and consumer businesses.
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