Daily Briefing · 2026-10-10

However, due to structural selling pressure, including foreign investors' net selling for 8 consecutive trading sessions, the stock price instead fell by over 4%. The KOSDAQ surged 4.24%, buoyed by strength in semiconductor materials, parts and equipment stocks, while the KOSPI plunged to the 6600 level, creating a stark divergence between the two indices. On Wall Street, the Dow, S&P500, and Nasdaq all closed higher amid expectations of easing Middle East tensions and prospects of expanded Russian diesel supply. President Trump, aiming at the midterm elections, has allowed temporary imports of 4.8 million tons of Russian diesel in hopes of lowering oil prices, but this has also raised concerns about geopolitical risks stemming from the easing of sanctions against Russia. Saudi Arabia conducted large-scale airstrikes destroying 136 military targets of Yemen's Houthi rebels, further intensifying geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Meanwhile, domestic gasoline prices have fallen for 21 consecutive weeks, dropping to around 1,857 won per liter, easing the burden on consumers. In the financial sector, cybersecurity threats are intensifying after it was revealed that the Chinese-made AI hacking tool Artex was exploited in a series of hacking incidents targeting Korean financial companies. Indeed, it was confirmed that a Chinese national in his 20s belonging to a DDoS organization was involved in hacking domestic financial institutions. In Daegu, the ceiling of a 32-year-old aging commercial building collapsed, injuring dozens of people, and DL E&C is under investigation under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act following a serious industrial accident at a power plant in Bucheon. Former Bank of Korea Governor Lee Chang-yong warned that the duration of the semiconductor boom cannot be predicted, while also warning of the risk posed by national debt reaching 250% of GDP. Income polarization is also deepening, with the top 10% holding 46.1% of net assets, while the net assets of low-income households instead decreased by 4.9%. Despite international gold prices falling by 27%, bargain-hunting demand led domestic banks' gold bar sales to increase more than threefold. The Seoul apartment auction market is showing deepening weakness, with the winning bid rate hitting its lowest level in 1 year and 7 months. Coupang has been embroiled in controversy over inadequate fulfillment of responsibility, as compensation for its dawn delivery service outage amounted to a mere 5,000 won in Coupang Cash. Controversy over the effectiveness of tax policy also continues, as the National Tax Service's reflection rate for tax law revision proposals stood at just 18.7%.