# South Korea's KOSPI Retreats to 5,600

> South Korea's KOSPI drops to 5,600 after 7-day decline as foreign investors sell 18 trillion won.
- Title: South Korea's KOSPI Retreats to 5,600 · BigGo Finance
- Summary: South Korea's KOSPI drops to 5,600 after 7-day decline as foreign investors sell 18 trillion won. South Korea's KOSPI retreated to 5,600 for the first time…
- Keywords: kospi, south korea, korea exchange, foreign investors, samsung electronics, sk hynix, leverage, share buybacks, korean market, semiconductor stocks, ai investment, us inflation
- Source: BigGo Finance — https://finance.biggo.com/news/3487e00d-e69c-4a89-ad4f-108b08bec8a5
- Author: BigGo Finance
- Published: 2026-10-17T22:25:26+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: kospi, south korea, korea exchange, foreign investors, samsung electronics, sk hynix, leverage, share buybacks, korean market, semiconductor stocks, ai investment, us inflation
## KOSPI Retreats to 5,600
South Korea's KOSPI has retreated to the 5,600 level for the first time in two and a half months.
## Foreign Investors Sell 18 Trillion Won
Foreign investors' cumulative net selling has swelled to approximately 18 trillion won (approximately $13.5 billion).
## Mechanical Selling Pressure Diminished
Mechanical selling pressure from leveraged products has diminished significantly compared to July's crash.
## Buyback Programs Ended
Samsung Electronics completed its share buyback program early on the 6th, and SK Hynix's buybacks are now in their final stages.
## Retail Investors Buy 7 Trillion Won
Retail investors bought approximately 7 trillion won (approximately $5.3 billion) of Samsung and SK Hynix stocks.
## KOSPI Plunged 7.57% on 15th
The KOSPI plunged 454.59 points (7.57%) to close at 5,554.22 on the 15th, triggering circuit breakers.
## KOSPI 200 Volatility Index Drops
The KOSPI 200 Volatility Index (VKOSPI) dropped from 87.79 to 48.89, indicating reduced market fear.
## Won-Dollar Exchange Rate Stabilized
The won-dollar exchange rate fell from 1,446.7 won to 1,331.4 won, a decline of more than 100 won.
## Foreign Investors Turn Net Buyers
Foreign investors turned net buyers on the 16th with approximately 340 billion won (approximately $255.7 million) in net purchases.
## AI Investment Concerns
Concerns over AI investment costs and Chinese memory chipmakers catching up fueled the sell-off.
## U.S. Inflation Shock
The U.S. Labor Department reported September's CPI rose 3.7% year-over-year, exceeding market expectations.
## Earnings Releases to Come
Third-quarter earnings releases from major U.S. technology companies and South Korean semiconductor firms are key inflection points.
## Korean Market Stabilizing
The market shows signs of stabilization as foreign selling slows and retail investors buy semiconductor stocks.
## Key takeaway

South Korea's KOSPI retreated to 5,600 for the first time in two and a half months as foreign investors sold 18 trillion won, but the market shows signs of stabilization.