KOSPI tumbled more than 8% intraday on Friday, wiping out the prior session's gains and triggering a market circuit-breaker. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix shares fell about 9% each. Foreign investors sold 2.5 tln won (≈$1.6bn) of KOSPI stocks in early trade. The rout reversed Thursday’s rally after Micron’s upbeat guidance and SK Hynix’s planned U.S. listing had lifted AI-related optimism. Sentiment soured after reports Apple raised prices amid memory-chip shortages and OpenAI may delay an IP

KOSPI tumbled more than 8% intraday on Friday, wiping out the prior session's gains and triggering a market circuit-breaker. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix shares fell about 9% each. Foreign investors sold 2.5 tln won (≈$1.6bn) of KOSPI stocks in early trade. The rout reversed Thursday’s rally after Micron’s upbeat guidance and SK Hynix’s planned U.S. listing had lifted AI-related optimism. Sentiment soured after reports Apple raised prices amid memory-chip shortages and OpenAI may delay an IPO until next year. IG International analyst Fabien Yip warned that if large buyers such as Apple cannot absorb higher costs it would raise questions about demand elasticity and the sustainability of memory-chip margins, and that an OpenAI IPO delay underscores tech stocks’ vulnerability to shifts in retail enthusiasm.