① Data show that from the 4th to the 11th of this month, foreign investors sold Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix shares totaling approximately KRW 3.92 trillion, while simultaneously net‑purchasing other KOSPI constituents worth about KRW 680 billion during the same period; ③ Analysts note that if U.S. Treasury long-term yields and the KRW/USD exchange rate stabilize, foreign capital may flow back into South Korea's semiconductor sector.
Cailian Press, September 14 (Editor: Ma Lan) — Foreign investors are pulling out of South Korea's semiconductor sector. Data show that this month, foreign investors sold off roughly KRW 4 trillion (about USD 3 billion) worth of shares in Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, redirecting some of their capital to sectors such as finance, energy, and automotive.
On Monday, the Korea Exchange reported that from the 4th to the 11th of this month, foreign investors net sold KRW 3.2362 trillion worth of stocks on the Korean securities market. Specifically, they net sold KRW 1.9598 trillion in Samsung Electronics shares and KRW 1.96 trillion in SK Hynix shares, bringing the combined net sell-off for these two stocks to KRW 3.9199 trillion.
Meanwhile, foreign investors net-purchased shares of other companies listed on South Korea's KOSPI index worth approximately 680 billion won. Analysts say that foreign investors are cashing out of large-cap semiconductor stocks and reallocating their funds to other equities.
Lee Kyung-min, a researcher at Korea Daishin Securities, stated that external uncertainties in the domestic stock market have eroded investor confidence in the semiconductor sector, and selling pressure has spread to industries such as nuclear power, shipbuilding, refining, chemicals, and secondary batteries. Meanwhile, foreign investors are also shifting their focus toward non-semiconductor sectors.
The market is looking for more signals of stability.
In August, foreign investors recorded total sales of KRW 9.7943 trillion in stocks listed on the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI). Among them, SK Hynix accounted for KRW 6.3991 trillion in sell-offs, while Samsung Electronics posted net sales of KRW 819.8 billion.
Even excluding Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, foreign investors are estimated to have recorded net sales of KRW 2.5753 trillion on the KOSPI last month. By contrast, after selling shares of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix this month, they have shifted their focus to other stocks listed on the Korean market.
Some analysts say it remains to be seen whether the recent trend of foreign investors pulling out of the semiconductor sector will persist. If U.S. long-term interest rates and the KRW/USD exchange rate—both of which influence AI demand—stabilize, foreign capital could flow back into major semiconductor firms such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.
Kim Yong-gu, a researcher at Yuanta Securities, noted that foreign investors' buying activity in South Korea's semiconductor sector over the past three months has been closely linked to fluctuations in the Korean won exchange rate. Should market interest rates stabilize and U.S. dollar liquidity expand going forward, conditions in the Korean stock market are likely to improve, once again benefiting the artificial intelligence and semiconductor value chains.