South Korea’s KOSPI Extends Losing Streak With 7.57% Drop

South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI fell 7.57% on Oct. 15, extending its losing streak to seven trading sessions and adding to the risk-market pressure watched by crypto traders.

The index closed at 5,554.22 after falling more than 20% over the seven sessions. Trading in the country’s two main stock markets was suspended for 20 minutes after both triggered circuit breakers during the session.

Samsung Electronics fell 9.48% to 210,000 won, while SK Hynix dropped 11.06% to 1.262 million won. Foreign investors were net sellers of a combined 2.57 trillion won in shares of the two companies on Oct. 15.

Selling pressure centered on semiconductor shares amid doubts about returns on AI infrastructure spending, higher U.S. inflation and expanding memory-chip capacity in China. President Lee Jae-myung’s Oct. 14 post urging people in distress to keep living promoted suicide-prevention support, not a response to the market decline; it directed people in South Korea to call 109 for help.