“So it wasn’t just my account in the red...” Only 81 KOSPI stocks rise amid sharp sell-off
- Input
- 2026-10-20 14:39:07
- Updated
- 2026-10-20 14:39:07
[Financial News] As South Korea’s stock market plunged, nine out of every 10 stocks on the main board were falling. Just 81 stocks were up, while 819 were down. With weakness spanning all sectors, from major large-cap stocks such as semiconductor and automobile companies to food and beverage and telecommunications, it was difficult to avoid the downturn.
According to the Korea Exchange, as of 2:23 p.m. on the 20th, 819 stocks on the main board were down—more than 10 times the 81 that were up. Fourteen were unchanged. The KOSPI stood at 5,518.09, down 4.33% from the previous trading day.
By sector, transportation equipment and parts fell 7.10%, while chemicals (-6.21%), metals (-6.01%) and machinery and equipment (-5.14%) also posted steep declines. Electrical and electronics (-4.28%), textiles and apparel (-4.04%), securities (-3.81%) and financials (-3.46%) were also weak. With food, beverages and tobacco (-0.63%) and telecommunications (-1.71%) also falling, every sector was down.
Large-cap stocks also failed to escape the decline. The KOSPI 200 Index fell 4.22% to 853.71.
At around 2:24 p.m., Samsung Electronics was trading at 209,750 won, down 3.78%, while SK hynix was down 5.25% at 1.21 million won. Hyundai Motor (-7.59%), SK Innovation (-8.59%), LG Display (-8.38%) and Korean Air (-8.17%) also fell sharply. Samsung Heavy Industries (-5.19%) and Mirae Asset Securities (-5.50%) were also weaker.
Most stocks on the KOSDAQ market were also declining. As of 2:23 p.m., the KOSDAQ index stood at 783.90, down 3.09% from the previous trading day. There were 1,404 decliners, more than five times the 274 advancers. Fifty-four stocks were unchanged.
On the KOSDAQ, financials (-5.13%), construction (-4.88%), non-metallic minerals (-4.44%) and medical and precision equipment (-3.98%) were among the declining sectors. Electrical and electronics (-3.73%), machinery and equipment (-3.69%) and chemicals (-3.59%) also fell, with weakness persisting across the market.
[email protected] Lee Jeong-hwa Reporter