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Japan, South Korea Stocks Weaken, KOSPI Opens Down 0.7%; SK Hynix, Samsung Buck Trend

TradingKey

AuthorYulia Zeng

Sep 29, 2026 12:33 AM

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On September 29, Japanese and South Korean stock markets opened lower, pressured by overnight declines in U.S. equities where tech stocks experienced pronounced pullbacks led by optical communications and memory chip sectors. Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index fell 0.37% and South Korea’s KOSPI Index dropped 0.25% in early trading, though both indexes slightly narrowed their initial losses. Meanwhile, South Korean tech heavyweights like SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics showed relative resilience with minor gains, whereas Japanese equities such as SoftBank Group and Kioxia traded in negative territory amid broader regional cautious sentiment.

AI-generated summary

TradingKey - On September 29, Japanese and South Korean stock markets showed weak performance in early trading. Japan's Nikkei 225 Index (JPN225) opened down 0.49% at 65,557.99 points, before narrowing its decline to 0.37% at 65,636.03 points; South Korea's KOSPI Index opened 0.7% lower at 6,844.41 points, before narrowing its loss to 0.25% at 6,872.71 points.

kospi-086b5d4850b94bc7b31e3277007f07d9

Source: TradingView

South Korean tech heavyweights performed relatively resiliently in early trading, with SK Hynix rising 0.42% in early trading to 1.776 million won (approximately $1,306); Samsung Electronics rose 0.28% to 271,000 won. In the Japanese market, SoftBank Group fell 0.51% in early trading to 6,212 yen (approximately $40); Kioxia fell 1.80% to 17,460 yen.

The cautious sentiment in Japanese and South Korean markets was mainly influenced by overnight weakness in U.S. stocks. The three major U.S. stock indices closed lower across the board, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 0.67%, the S&P 500 Index dropping 0.77%, and the Nasdaq Composite Index declining 0.92%.

Tech stocks experienced more pronounced pullbacks, with optical communications and memory chip sectors leading the decline. Arm (ARM) fell over 8%, Qualcomm (QCOM) fell over 7%, Intel (INTC) and SK Hynix (SKHY) both dropped over 5%; Meta and Coherent (COHR) fell over 4%, while SanDisk (SNDK), AMD (AMD), and Marvell Technology (MRVL) fell over 3%.

This content was translated using AI and reviewed for clarity. It is for informational purposes only.

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Disclaimer: The content of this article solely represents the author's personal opinions and does not reflect the official stance of Tradingkey. It should not be considered as investment advice. The article is intended for reference purposes only, and readers should not base any investment decisions solely on its content. Tradingkey bears no responsibility for any trading outcomes resulting from reliance on this article. Furthermore, Tradingkey cannot guarantee the accuracy of the article's content. Before making any investment decisions, it is advisable to consult an independent financial advisor to fully understand the associated risks.

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