Korea's market absorbed a governance shock and a currency milestone in the same session.
Samsung Electronics announced a record 90-110 trillion won shareholder return plan, but shares fell 8.70% as investors realized a legal ownership cap limits large-scale buybacks. SK Hynix, unconstrained by the same rule, saw a milder 3.41% drop after confirming a 40 trillion won buyback. The KOSPI closed down 3.12% at 6,696.96, while the won hit an 11-month high against the dollar on surging corporate dollar-selling.
Sources:
- Blocked by "10% Rule" Under Financial Industry Restructuring Act, Samsung Leans Toward Dividends Over Buybacks — Seoul Economic Daily, 2026-08-24
- Chip Exports, Hawkish Bank of Korea, and Corporate Demand Drive Won Strength — Seoul Economic Daily, 2026-08-24
- Kosdaq Active ETFs Shift From Bio to Semiconductor Equipment — Seoul Economic Daily, 2026-08-24
- Samsung Embeds GPU Functions in HBM as SK Hynix Stacks to 20 Layers — Seoul Economic Daily, 2026-08-24
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#KOSPI #SamsungElectronics #SKHynix #KoreanWon #StockMarket #AIPRISM #SeoulEconomicDaily #WANIFRA
