Overview
- The Kospi fell about 10% on Tuesday, June 23, triggering a Korea Exchange 20‑minute circuit breaker after the index tumbled 910.71 points to 8,203.84.
- Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix each dropped roughly 12%, together wiping out a large share of the index’s value and driving most of the decline.
- Foreign and institutional investors were net sellers of more than 4 trillion won while domestic retail investors bought into the slump, highlighting a split in market behavior.
- Regulators and market officials pointed to profit‑taking after an AI‑fuelled rally, newly approved leveraged single‑stock products and a record rise in margin debt as key amplifiers of the rout.
- Markets are now focused on Micron’s upcoming earnings for signs of true AI memory demand and on whether Korean authorities will move to curb leverage or provide liquidity to calm volatility.