Korean stocks: the KOSPI index falls back to 6,600 points — how to trade popular Korean stocks on Gate TradFi?

On July 14, 2026, the Korean Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) once fell to the 6,600-point level during the trading session, drawing widespread attention from the market. In the prior trading day, KOSPI had already dropped sharply by 8.95%, closing at 6,806.93 points. The extreme correction over two consecutive trading days has turned the Korean stock market into the focus of global investors.

Behind this volatility, the performance of two semiconductor heavyweight stocks—Samsung Electronics and SK hynix—is especially crucial. They are both core constituents of the KOSPI index and the most actively traded assets in Gate’s TradFi Korea stock segment.

KOSPI plunges fast over two days: a sharp adjustment from 6,800 to 6,600

On July 14, the KOSPI opened with a decline of 0.56%, at 6,769.06 points. After the opening, the index briefly rebounded above 6,800 points, then quickly slipped, with the intraday low touching around 6,600 points. As of 9:26 a.m. Korea time, KOSPI was at 6,750.69 points, down 0.83% from the previous trading day.

Earlier on July 13, KOSPI had already suffered a single-day plunge of 8.95%, closing at 6,806.93 points. Across the two trading days combined, the maximum decline for KOSPI was close to 10%. In the same period, the Korean venture board index KOSDAQ also performed weakly; on July 14, its intraday drop once reached 2.09%, to 782.63 points.

In terms of capital flows, individual investors were the main force behind the selling in this round of declines. In the early trading session on July 14, Korean retail investors net sold about 1.2 trillion won; meanwhile, institutional investors and foreign capital showed net buying. This kind of capital structure—retail dumping while institutions absorb—reflects market sentiment to a certain extent.

Multiple factors converge: why KOSPI falls back to 6,600

This rapid pullback in the Korean stock market was not caused by a single factor, but by the convergence of multiple macro and industry risks.

Geopolitical risk heats up. The conflict between the United States and Iran has escalated again, worsening geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. U.S. President Trump announced the resumption of a naval blockade on Iran, triggering a sharp rise in international oil prices—ICE September crude oil futures jumped 9.6% to $83.30 per barrel. As geopolitical uncertainty rises, global risk assets typically face systematic sell-offs; as a highly outward-facing economy, Korea’s stock market is particularly sensitive to this.

Semiconductor sector sentiment weakens. Worries about slowing investment in artificial intelligence (AI) have resurfaced, weighing on the global semiconductor sector. On July 13 (U.S. time), the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index fell 4.78%, with NVIDIA down 3.52% and Micron down 4.32%. As a core node in the global semiconductor supply chain, Korea’s semiconductor heavyweight stocks naturally took a direct hit.

Tighter expectations for macro liquidity. Fed officials issued a more hawkish signal, and U.S. 10-year Treasury yields rose to 4.62%, the highest level in a month. Expectations of tightening global liquidity create systematic pressure on valuations of emerging markets and export-oriented economies.

Valuation-level self-reinforcement. A Kiwoom Securities researcher said that since July, over 14 trading days, KOSPI has seen a rapid drop of nearly 20%, one of the most severe adjustments since the 2008 financial crisis. The firm also noted that KOSPI’s forward price-to-earnings ratio has fallen to levels seen around the financial crisis, and whether valuation has truly bottomed out is worth watching. Around 6,500 points is considered a key support level at the 120-day moving average.

Samsung Electronics and SK hynix: the core engine behind KOSPI volatility

During this adjustment, the intraday movement of KOSPI was almost entirely driven by Samsung Electronics and SK hynix.

In the opening phase on July 14, Samsung Electronics fell 1.08%, temporarily at 252,000 won; SK hynix fell 3.14%, temporarily at 1,787,000 won. Then, boosted by bargain-hunting buying, both stocks showed a significant rebound. As of 10:05 a.m. that morning, Samsung Electronics surged 5.89% to 269,500 won, while SK hynix rose 4.50% to 1,928,000 won.

This kind of “plunge then rebound” pattern essentially reflects the market’s huge disagreement about the outlook for the semiconductor cycle. On one hand, there are concerns about whether the memory-chip industry cycle has peaked—on the previous trading day, SK hynix’s local Korean shares fell 15% in a single day, recording the largest intraday decline in history. On the other hand, SK hynix holds about 58% of revenue share in the global HBM (high-bandwidth memory) market; under the structural trend of long-term growth in AI computing demand, its fundamental logic has not been fundamentally overturned.

As the highest-weight constituent in the KOSPI, Samsung Electronics’ price movements have a more direct impact on the index. During the July 14 session, Samsung Electronics led KOSPI’s rebound, fully reflecting its “pillar of stability” role in Korea’s stock market.

How does Gate TradFi participate in Korean stock trading?

For investors looking to capture trading opportunities in Korea’s core assets, the Gate platform offers a convenient participation path.

In June 2026, Gate officially launched its Korea stock trading service. Users can directly use USDT to trade listed stocks on the Korean Exchange (KRX). Previously, Gate had supported trading for U.S. stocks and Hong Kong stocks; adding the Korea stock segment enables users to complete asset allocation across the three major core markets of China, the U.S., and Korea within a single account.

Gate’s Korea stock business launched its first batch of listed stocks ranked in the top 1,000 by market value on the Korean exchanges, covering both the KOSPI main board and the KOSDAQ market. The initial trading targets include Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, NAVER, Hyundai Motor, and Celltrion among other representative listed companies in Korea.

Real stock trading: holding underlying assets

Gate Stocks provide real stock trading services, letting users buy and sell shares of listed Korean companies directly through the Gate App or the web interface.

On the Gate platform, Samsung Electronics’ trading code is SAMSUNG, and users can trade using the Korea Exchange stock code 005930. SK hynix’s trading code is SKHYNIX, corresponding to stock code 000660.

The core advantage of real stock trading is: users do not need to open a traditional Korean brokerage account, nor do they need to exchange Korean won themselves. All they need to do is transfer USDT to the stock account to buy with one click. This model greatly simplifies the lengthy traditional route of “sell crypto → withdraw fiat → cross-border remittance → deposit to a brokerage account.”

For trading hours, Gate’s Korea stock trading matches the regular sessions of the Korea Exchange, from 09:00 to 15:20 Korea time. The platform supports fractional-share trading with a minimum of 0.01 shares; holding $2,000 qualifies users for VIP status and a minimum 0.023% stock trading fee rate.

CFD contracts: leveraged trading and bidirectional positions

In addition to real stock trading, Gate TradFi also launched CFD (contract for difference) trading pairs for Korean stocks, providing more options for investors with different risk preferences.

On June 24, 2026, Gate TradFi indexes and the stock section launched multiple CFD trading pairs. In the stock section, 7 trading pairs were launched, including SKHYNIX (SK hynix), SAMSUNG (Samsung Electronics), HYUNDAI (Hyundai Motor), SAMSUNGEM (Samsung Electro-Mechanics), SKSQUARE, HPSP, and JUSUNG (Joosung Engineering), and they all support 4x fixed leverage with a minimum order size of 0.1.

Additionally, the index section launched KR200 (Korea Composite Stock Price Index 200) trading pairs, supporting 100x fixed leverage with a minimum order size of 0.01. For investors who want to amplify exposure through leverage or configure at the index level, KR200 provides an efficient participation tool.

It’s important to note that liquidity for CFD quotes may be lower during non-regular trading hours. As CFD contracts are derivatives of traditional financial assets, their trading mechanics differ fundamentally from real stocks. Investors need to fully understand the relevant risks when using leveraged trading.

Account and asset system

Gate’s Korea stock trading shares the same account and asset system as U.S. stocks and Hong Kong stocks. Users only need to complete basic KYC verification, and they can complete asset allocation and management across different markets and different asset classes within a unified account. Korea stock trading prices, market values, and profit/loss are displayed in Korean won, while fees and fund settlement are converted using real-time exchange rates and deducted in USDT.

Summary

On July 14, 2026, under the convergence of multiple macro risks, the KOSPI index touched the 6,600-point level intraday. Semiconductor heavyweight stocks such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix experienced severe “plunge—rebound” swings. Rising geopolitical risk, weakening semiconductor sector sentiment, and global expectations for tighter liquidity are the core drivers behind this round of adjustments. From a valuation perspective, KOSPI’s forward price-to-earnings ratio has already fallen to lows seen since the financial crisis; around 6,500 points, the 120-day moving average is seen as a key support level.

For investors who want to participate in trading Korea’s core assets, the Gate platform offers two paths: real stocks and CFD contracts. Real stock trading supports buying and selling assets such as Samsung Electronics (005930) and SK hynix (000660) directly with USDT, supports fractional-share trading, and has a low threshold; CFD contracts provide 4x leverage (individual stocks) and 100x leverage (KR200 index), suitable for trading needs with different risk profiles. Users can complete cross-market allocation for Korea stocks, U.S. stocks, and Hong Kong stocks within a single unified account.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Is Gate’s Korea stock trading a “direct connection” to the Korea Exchange?

Gate’s “direct Korea stock” is essentially not a direct link to the Korea Exchange, but a financial innovation product. By using the stablecoin USDT as a settlement medium, users can configure global assets such as U.S. stocks, Hong Kong stocks, and Korea stocks in one stop within a single account. Users do not need to open a traditional Korean brokerage account, nor do they need to exchange Korean won themselves.

Q2: What do I need to trade Korea stocks on Gate?

Users only need to complete Gate’s basic KYC verification. Korea stock trading shares the same account and asset system as U.S. stocks and Hong Kong stocks, and no additional opening of a Korean brokerage account is required.

Q3: What are the trading codes for Samsung Electronics and SK hynix on Gate?

Samsung Electronics’ trading code is SAMSUNG, corresponding to Korea Exchange stock code 005930. SK hynix’s trading code is SKHYNIX, corresponding to stock code 000660.

Q4: Does Gate Korea stock trading support leverage?

Yes. Gate TradFi provides Korean stock CFD trading pairs. Individual stocks (such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix) support 4x fixed leverage; the index product KR200 (Korea Composite Stock Price Index 200) supports 100x fixed leverage. Real stock trading does not involve leverage.

Q5: What are the Korea stock trading hours?

Gate’s Korea stock trading hours match the regular session of the Korea Exchange, from 09:00 to 15:20 Korea time. At present, only intraday continuous order matching is supported, with no pre-market or after-market trading.

Q6: Can I buy Korea stocks directly with USDT?

Yes. Gate’s Korea stock trading uses USDT as the settlement medium. After transferring USDT to the stock account, users can directly buy Korean stocks. Prices, market values, and profit/loss are displayed in Korean won, while trading fees and fund settlement are converted at the real-time exchange rate and deducted in USDT.

Q7: What Korea stock assets does Gate support?

Gate’s Korea stock business launched its first batch of listed stocks ranked in the top 1,000 by market value on the Korea Exchange, covering the KOSPI main board and the KOSDAQ market. The initial trading targets include representative listed companies such as Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, NAVER, Hyundai Motor, and Celltrion. For CFD contracts, 7 trading pairs have been launched, including SKHYNIX, SAMSUNG, HYUNDAI, SAMSUNGEM, SKSQUARE, HPSP, and JUSUNG.