On the 18th, the KOSPI index began with slight losses amid concerns that U.S. military intervention could occur in the conflict between Israel and Iran.
As of 9:07 a.m. that morning, the KOSPI index was trading at 2,941.63, down 8.67 points (0.29%) from the previous day. The KOSPI index started off at 2,937.06, a decrease of 0.45% compared to the last trading day.
In the market for securities, individuals are net buying 74.5 billion won. Institutions and foreigners are net selling 34.5 billion won and 39.1 billion won, respectively.
Most of the top 10 market capitalization stocks are falling. Kia is down 1.81%, showing the largest drop. SK hynix is down 0.4%, Samsung Biologics is down 1.09%, Hanwha Aerospace is down 0.21%, Hyundai Motor is down 1.45%, KB Financial is down 1.03%, and Doosan Enerbility is down 0.17%. Samsung Electronics is up 0.86%, LG Energy Solution is up 0.17%, and Samsung Electronics Preferred is up 0.31%.
At the same time, the KOSDAQ index is trading at 774.45, down 1.2 points (0.15%) from the previous day. The KOSDAQ index started at 772.87, down 0.36% compared to the last trading day. In the KOSDAQ market, individuals and institutions are net buying 26.2 billion won and 12.6 billion won, respectively. Foreigners sold 38.3 billion won worth.
The top KOSDAQ stocks show mixed results. PharmaResearch is showing the largest gain at 2.14%. ECOPRO BM is up 0.78%, Ecopro is up 0.96%, and HUGEL is up 0.42%. On the other hand, Alteogen is down 0.63%, HLB is down 1.18%, Rainbow Robotics is down 0.18%, Peptron is down 0.48%, LigaChem Biosciences is down 1.53%, and CLASSYS is down 0.33%.
That day, in the Seoul foreign exchange market, the exchange rate of the won against the U.S. dollar started at 1,376.2 won, down 3.3 won from the previous day.
U.S. stocks closed lower as President Trump discussed potential military intervention in Iran. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 40,215.80, down 299.29 points (0.7%) on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The S&P 500 index lost 50.39 points (0.84%) to close at 5,982.72, while the NASDAQ Composite index dropped 180.12 points (0.91%) to finish at 19,521.09.
President Trump convened a National Security Council (NSC) meeting at the White House that afternoon to discuss options for directly striking Iran. There are indications that U.S. forces might carry out direct strikes against Iran's underground nuclear facilities.
President Trump also made remarks aimed at Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He stated on his social media platform Truth Social, "We know exactly where the 'supreme leader' is," and added, "Patience has its limits, and Iran must surrender unconditionally."