Breaking
RUNorth Korea launched an unknown projectile towards the Sea of JapanKRPresident Lee holds first greetings with new ambassadors to Korea from eight countries, including IranKR[Featured stock] Hanwha M&S surges 23% in early trading due to Kim Dong-seon's tender offerUSThe founder’s guide to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: Everything you need to knowKR[Bulletin board] Kiwoom Securities, pension savings account ETF trading eventUSWeek 5 Fantasy football standouts: Early Week 6 waiver wire adds to boost your rest-of-season rostersKRGyeonggi-do selects 10 construction companies for best bids at the end of the yearKR[TechSnap] Kakao Mobility recruits ‘AI Junior Lab 7th’ for middle school studentsGLOBAL'Tax rises needed to plug £35bn gap' and 'Putin breaks Trump's 'ceasefire"INTLCNBC Daily Open: Will America open another front in the Middle East? Trump is consideringRUNorth Korea launched an unknown projectile towards the Sea of JapanKRPresident Lee holds first greetings with new ambassadors to Korea from eight countries, including IranKR[Featured stock] Hanwha M&S surges 23% in early trading due to Kim Dong-seon's tender offerUSThe founder’s guide to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: Everything you need to knowKR[Bulletin board] Kiwoom Securities, pension savings account ETF trading eventUSWeek 5 Fantasy football standouts: Early Week 6 waiver wire adds to boost your rest-of-season rostersKRGyeonggi-do selects 10 construction companies for best bids at the end of the yearKR[TechSnap] Kakao Mobility recruits ‘AI Junior Lab 7th’ for middle school studentsGLOBAL'Tax rises needed to plug £35bn gap' and 'Putin breaks Trump's 'ceasefire"INTLCNBC Daily Open: Will America open another front in the Middle East? Trump is considering
BackSeoul shares open lower on inflation, Mideast woes
Seoul shares open lower on inflation, Mideast woes
Urgent
Yonhap News1 hour agoBusiness1 min readSouth Korea

Seoul shares open lower on inflation, Mideast woes

Quick Look

Seoul shares opened lower on Monday as technology stocks declined amid inflation concerns driven by elevated oil prices and the escalating Middle East crisis, despite overnight gains on Wall Street.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

Seoul shares opened lower as technology stocks declined amid inflation concerns driven by elevated oil prices and the escalating Middle East crisis.

Font size

SEOUL, Oct. 12 (Yonhap) -- Seoul shares opened lower Monday, as losses in technology stocks weighed on the market amid inflation concerns stoked by elevated oil prices and the escalating Middle East crisis.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 47.76 points, or 0.72 percent, to 6,578.17 at the opening bell.

The decline came despite overnight gains on Wall Street.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.83 percent on Friday (local time), while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.64 percent.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

  • Seoul shares may continue to face pressure if Middle East tensions persist and oil prices remain elevated

    Possible · Within days

Open Questions

  • How long will the Middle East crisis continue to affect oil prices?
  • Will technology stocks continue to decline in the coming days?
  • Can Wall Street gains offset regional market pressures?

Related Topics

This article was originally published by Yonhap News.

Related Stories

[Featured stock] Hanwha M&S surges 23% in early trading due to Kim Dong-seon's tender offer
BREAKING·

[Featured stock] Hanwha M&S surges 23% in early trading due to Kim Dong-seon's tender offer

Hanwha Machinery & Services is trading at 7,480 won, up more than 23% in early trading following the announcement of a tender offer plan by Kim Dong-seon, president of future strategy. The tender offer price was 8,000 won per share, which was higher than the previous closing price and acted as a positive factor, and upon completion, President Kim's shareholding will increase from 5.81% to 24.81%.

연합뉴스
1 min read
[Bulletin board] Kiwoom Securities, pension savings account ETF trading event
Urgent·

[Bulletin board] Kiwoom Securities, pension savings account ETF trading event

Kiwoom Securities is holding a ‘Pension Savings ETF Asset Management Event’ for users who invest in ETFs with pension savings accounts until December 30th. If you trade an ETF designated by a participating manager, you will receive a gift certificate based on the net purchase amount. If you meet all seven managers' conditions, you can receive a gift certificate worth up to 210,000 won. Coffee coupons are additionally provided to users who have not traded ETFs in the past six months.

연합뉴스
1 min read
Gyeonggi-do selects 10 construction companies for best bids at the end of the year
Urgent·

Gyeonggi-do selects 10 construction companies for best bids at the end of the year

In order to spread a fair bidding culture, Gyeonggi Province is promoting a pilot project to select 10 exemplary construction companies for proper bidding by the end of the year. The target is a construction company in the province that has been judged suitable at least once in a public bidding survey, and seven items are evaluated, including compliance with laws and regulations, soundness, and new technology and patents. Selected companies will receive an extension of the public bidding grace period and promotional benefits, and applications will be accepted by the Gyeonggi Provincial Chapter of the Construction Association of Korea and the Gyeonggi Provincial Chapter of the Korea Professional Construction Association by the 30th.

연합뉴스
2 min read
Semiconductor exports reached $26.1 billion early this month... Doubled, highest ever (comprehensive)
Business·

Semiconductor exports reached $26.1 billion early this month... Doubled, highest ever (comprehensive)

According to the Korea Customs Service, exports from the 1st to the 10th reached an all-time high of $26.1 billion, up 102.0% compared to the same period last year, and the average daily export amount also reached a record high of $4.75 billion, up 28.5%. Semiconductor exports surged 170.9% to $12.2 billion, accounting for 46.7% of total exports, and the trade balance recorded a surplus of $3.8 billion.

연합뉴스
2 min read
Hyeong-il Lee “Establishes a new overseas construction fund worth 3 trillion won to support package orders”
Business·

Hyeong-il Lee “Establishes a new overseas construction fund worth 3 trillion won to support package orders”

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy Lee Hyung-il announced that he plans to establish a new overseas construction strategic fund worth 3 trillion won to support companies receiving overseas orders, and strengthen the basis for overseas business participation by establishing a foundation for economic and supply chain cooperation through high-level summit diplomacy and creating an industrial complex exclusively for Korean companies in India. However, the financial risks of major countries and the possibility of AI investment adjustments amid the global high interest rate situation were pointed out as potential external risks.

연합뉴스
2 min read
(LEAD) Exports double in first 10 days of October on chips
Business·

(LEAD) Exports double in first 10 days of October on chips

South Korea's exports reached $26.1 billion in the first 10 days of October, more than doubling from a year earlier, according to customs data released Monday. The surge was led by a 170.9% increase in semiconductor shipments to $12.1 billion, with strong growth also seen in cars, petroleum products, and steel. Exports to China and the United States saw particularly sharp increases, rising 167% and 159.9% respectively. The country recorded a trade surplus of $3.8 billion during the period.

Yonhap News
1 min read
More on this topicseoul