Foreign investors sold a combined 176 trillion won of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix this year

Odaily News: Brokerage research reports indicate that foreign investors continue to sell off South Korean stocks, with no sign of the selling pressure easing yet. However, a series of events from the end of this month to mid-November may become a turning point for foreign capital to return. The earnings reports of the two major memory chip giants, the U.S. midterm elections, changes in the Middle East situation, and the listing of AI company Anthropic are seen as core variables that could potentially reverse market sentiment.

Data from the Korea Exchange on the 14th shows that, as of the previous trading day, foreign investors had cumulatively net sold 203.6977 trillion won (approximately $141.5 billion) in the KOSPI main board market this year. Of that, just two stocks—Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix—accounted for approximately 176 trillion won in net selling, representing 86% of total foreign selling. Samsung Electronics' foreign ownership ratio fell to an 18-year low not seen since 2008; SK Hynix's foreign ownership rate also dropped below its ten-year average. This round of foreign capital outflow is the core driver of the KOSPI index's decline. Escalating Middle East geopolitical risks, controversy over OpenAI's annual revenue, and concerns over the rising competitiveness of foreign companies—multiple factors compounded to weigh on the market.