The KOSPI index, which plummeted due to the U.S. tariff announcement attributed to former President Donald Trump, has reduced its loss during the day and is moving around the 2480 level. This is due to the influx of bargain hunting during the morning. Foreign investors have net sold nearly 1 trillion won, but institutions have shifted to net buying during the day.

On the morning of Mar. 3, U.S. President Donald Trump announces a mutual tariff imposition policy while the market trends are displayed in the dealing room of Hana Bank's main branch in Jung-gu, Seoul./Courtesy of News1
On the morning of Mar. 3, U.S. President Donald Trump announces a mutual tariff imposition policy while the market trends are displayed in the dealing room of Hana Bank's main branch in Jung-gu, Seoul./Courtesy of News1

At 1:30 p.m. on the 3rd, the KOSPI index is trading at 2485, down 20 points (0.8%) from the previous day. On that day, the KOSPI index started below the 2440 level after falling more than 2.7%, but the loss has steadily decreased.

In the securities market, foreign investors have net sold 950 billion won. However, institutions have turned to net buying during the day, and individuals are net buying 750 billion won.

In the early part of the trading session, most of the top market capitalization stocks fell sharply, but some stocks rebounded. In particular, the bio sector, defense, and shipbuilding industries are showing strength. Samsung Biologics is rising over 7% as it is classified as a tariff-free zone. Celltrion is also up more than 1%, and Hanwha Aerospace and Hyundai Rotem are also on an upward trend.

On the other hand, the sectors with significant declines in stock prices are all expected to be hit by U.S. tariffs. These include semiconductors, automobiles, and batteries. Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are down more than 2%. LG Energy Solution (-3.34%), Hyundai Motor (-1.12%), and Kia (-0.98%) are also performing poorly.

The U.S. government announced last night that it will impose a 25% reciprocal tariff on all products produced in South Korea and imported into the United States.

At the same time, the KOSDAQ index also significantly reduced its losses. It is trading at 683.50, down 1.35 points (0.20%) from the previous day, showing slight weakness. In the KOSDAQ market, foreign investors and institutions are selling off 34 billion won and 22.8 billion won, respectively. Individuals are net buying 620 million won.

The top stocks in the KOSDAQ market are also showing mixed trends. However, the fluctuations are not as significant compared to KOSPI stocks. Alteogen (0.41%) and ECOPRO BM (0.33%) have an increase rate of less than 1%. On the other hand, HLB and HUGEL, which are currently declining, are also down 0.18% and 0.91%, respectively, showing relatively small losses.