![An electronic board showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index at a dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul on Tuesday. (Yonhap)]](https://contents-cdn.viewus.co.kr/image/2025/07/CP-2023-0309/30889012.jpg)
Seoul’s stock market experienced a sharp downturn on Tuesday as investors took profits from recent gains while navigating uncertainties surrounding U.S. tariff policies and impending corporate earnings reports. Meanwhile, the Korean won strengthened against the U.S. dollar.
Trading activity was moderate, with 375.19 million shares being exchanged. The total value of trades reached 11.39 trillion won (8.2 billion USD). Decliners far outnumbered advancers, with counts of 686 to 208.
Institutional and foreign investors offloaded shares worth 413.94 billion won (310.46 million USD) and 160.97 billion won (120.73 million USD), respectively. In contrast, individual investors emerged as net buyers, acquiring stocks worth 511.44 billion won (383.58 million USD).
Lee Jae-won, an analyst at Shinhan Securities Co., observed that institutions and foreign investors shifted to net selling after three and eight consecutive sessions of purchasing local stocks, respectively. This change in behavior exerted downward pressure on the market.
Retail investors, meanwhile, became net buyers following three consecutive sessions of selling.
Market observers are closely monitoring potential shifts in U.S. tariff policies. There is speculation that President Donald Trump might announce new unilateral tariffs before August 1, adding another layer of uncertainty to the market.
Investors are also eagerly anticipating this week’s release of second-quarter corporate earnings, which could offer critical insights into the market’s future direction.
In Seoul, most blue-chip stocks closed in negative territory.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics fell 2.65 percent to 66,000 won (49.50 USD), while its smaller competitor in the chip-making sector, SK hynix, slipped 1.47 percent to 268,500 won (201.38 USD).
The automotive sector did not escape the downtrend either, with top carmaker Hyundai Motor declining 1.2 percent to 206,500 won (154.88 USD). In the shipbuilding industry, HD Hyundai dropped 0.8 percent to close at 136,100 won (102.08 USD), and POSCO Holdings, the country’s leading steelmaker, decreased by 1.22 percent to 323,000 won (242.25 USD).
However, some stocks defied the trend. Leading battery manufacturer LG Energy Solution registered a modest gain of 0.76 percent, closing at 333,500 won (250.13 USD), and LG Chem edged up 0.7 percent to 289,000 won (216.75 USD).
In the telecommunications sector, major wireless services provider SK Telecom advanced 1.07 percent to 56,500 won (42.38 USD), and state-run Korea Electric Power Corp. nudged up 0.27 percent to 37,250 won (27.94 USD).
As of 3:30 p.m., the Korean won was trading at 1,387.80 per U.S. dollar, up by 0.4 won from the previous session’s close. (Yonhap)
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