Daily Briefing · 2026-10-14

As large-scale selling by foreign investors continued, this year's cumulative net selling surpassed 200 trillion won. However, large-cap semiconductor stocks such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix rebounded, allowing the KOSPI to barely hold the 6000 line. Wall Street's famous analyst Dan Ives compared Korea to Silicon Valley in the 1990s, forecasting that the KOSPI could break through the 9000 line within 6 months. Global semiconductor equipment maker ASML recorded its highest-ever third-quarter revenue, signaling a boom in semiconductor investment. Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong received a gift of shares worth 2.6 trillion won from his mother, Hong Ra-hee, which is being interpreted as a signal of buying at the bottom. In the financial sector, it was confirmed that 100 thousand pieces of personal information were leaked due to hacking at 16 financial companies, and it was revealed that there are 130 institutions with inadequate security. The National Pension Service fund's rate of return plunged by as much as 12 percentage points in a single month, but an additional selling shock was avoided by deferring rebalancing. Korea's per capita GDP surpassed $40,000 for the first time ever, and the IMF also lowered its outlook for Korea's government debt ratio to 46.1%. In the United States, the September Consumer Price Index came in at 3.7%, exceeding expectations, with rising energy prices due to the Iran war acting as inflationary pressure. President Trump disclosed Korea's pledge to invest 67 trillion won in the Alaska LNG project, strengthening efforts to attract foreign capital. Major domestic companies including SK, Samsung, Hyundai, and Doosan are reviewing the formation of a consortium of up to 4 trillion won to acquire a stake in U.S.-based Westinghouse. Hyundai Motor Group invested 20 trillion won in India to build an annual production system of 1.42 million units, but faces the paradoxical situation of its market share actually falling to 4th place due to sluggish local sales. The Korea Fair Trade Commission is expanding its investigation into price-fixing allegations worth 1.4 trillion won in the flour and food industry, targeting companies including Daehan Flour Mills, CJ CheilJedang, Ottogi, and Daesang. Yuhan Corporation's cumulative sales from the Leclaza and Rybrevant combination therapy surpassed 1 trillion won, already exceeding last year's annual performance. Seoul apartment prices have risen for 87 consecutive weeks, continuing the longest streak on record, making the government's supply expansion measures an urgent task. With National Tax Service Commissioner Lim Kwang-hyun appointed as Presidential Chief of Staff, concerns are growing over a gap in tax administration work due to the vacancy in the Commissioner position.