Daily Briefing · 2026-10-12

Exports in early October rose 102 percent year-on-year to a record $26.1 billion, with semiconductor exports surging more than 170 percent to lead the growth. SK Hynix's third-quarter operating profit is projected to rise 32 percent from the previous quarter to the 80 trillion won range, but the valuation discount is instead widening amid foreign fund outflows and controversy over Solidigm's Nasdaq listing. The KOSPI plunged 2.33 percent amid five consecutive months of foreign net selling, falling below the 6500 level. International oil prices surpassed $100 per barrel amid tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, but domestic refiner stocks plunged more than 4 percent following President Trump's announcement of a Russia-Ukraine energy ceasefire. Celltrion posted strong results, with third-quarter operating profit up more than 69 percent year-on-year. Hyundai Motor's domestic sales in the third quarter fell more than 27 percent due to the impact of strikes and weak EV sales, leading brokerages to continue lowering their target prices. The contract cancellation rate for Seoul apartments has more than doubled compared to five years ago, raising concerns over declining transaction reliability. The delinquency rate at 339 mutual finance institutions exceeded 10 percent, deepening the soundness crisis in retail finance. Hanwha MS shares surged 23 percent on news that President Kim Dong-sun is pursuing a tender offer. Wall Street rebounded on earnings optimism, and domestic investors' holdings of US stocks surpassed 268 trillion won for the first time in four months. Since the introduction of the responsibility map system, financial accidents have increased to 203 cases worth around 600 billion won, but with not a single executive sanctioned, controversy is growing over the effectiveness of internal controls. The United States is easing sanctions on Russia to secure Russian diesel imports and has even threatened to halt weapons support to Ukraine as it pursues energy diplomacy. Homeplus is considering a split sale instead of a full sale due to lukewarm interest from acquisition candidates.