Kospi Falls for 2nd Day, Slips 0.8% as Investors Cautiously Eye Fed Outlook and Trump–Putin–Zelensky Summit
“Korean stocks dipped again on August 19, 2025, with the Kospi down 0.81% amid caution ahead of the Fed’s policy outlook and the Trump–Putin–Zelensky summit. Heavy foreign selling outweighed local investor support.”
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Seoul, August 19 (Korea JoongAng Daily) — The Kospi declined for a second straight day on Tuesday, weighed down by global uncertainties surrounding upcoming U.S. policy signals and geopolitical developments.
The index slid 25.72 points (0.81%) to close at 3,151.56, as foreign investors engaged in substantial net selling of 453.5 billion won in local equities. Meanwhile, domestic individuals and institutions stepped in, buying a net 88.7 billion won and 252.9 billion won, respectively. Trade volumes were moderate, with 281.47 million shares traded, valued at 8.54 trillion won (approximately $6.14 billion).
Mixed performance among blue-chip stocks defined the day’s activity: Samsung Electronics held steady at 70,000 won, SK hynix fell 1.68% to 263,000 won, while LG Energy Solution gained 0.26% to 384,000 won. In healthcare sectors, Samsung Biologics edged down 0.39% to 1,024,000 won, and Celltrion remained unchanged. Hanwha Aerospace, however, plunged 6.87% to 827,000 won.
The won weakened against the U.S. dollar, trading at 1,390.7 won around mid-afternoon—0.41% lower than the previous day’s 1,385 won. Bond yields moved upward as well: the three-year yield rose 1.8 basis points to 2.444%, and the five-year yield climbed 2.1 basis points to 2.613%.
Analysts, including Lee Kyung-min of Daishin Securities, attributed the market’s cautious tone to looming global catalysts—the Fed’s Jackson Hole symposium and the highly watched summit between Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Volodymyr Zelensky. He noted that “with both issues unlikely to produce meaningful results in the short term... markets are likely to remain in a wait-and-see mode.”
