South Korea's main equity gauge reclaimed the 7,000 line on the last trading day before Gaecheonjeol, closing up 32.39 points, or 0.45 percent, at 7,003.74 even as offshore funds extended a selling streak that now spans six sessions.
Institutions versus offshore funds
Retail investors net sold 1.72 trillion won on Friday, according to exchange data cited by local media, while foreigners unloaded another 143.8 billion won. That sixth day of foreign net selling brought the estimated six-session total to about 9.9 trillion won, a sharp contrast with the 381.4 billion won institutions bought to stabilize the tape. Other corporates, including buyback desks, absorbed much of the remainder.
The session opened soft, dipped to 6,927.9 intraday, then rallied to finish just below the 7,011.0 high. Samsung Electronics ended flat at 276,000 won after Thursday's bounce, while SK hynix added 0.4 percent to 1,841,000 won. LG Energy Solution rose 2.9 percent and Samsung Biologics fell 4.5 percent, showing the move was broad rather than a single-chip story.
Kosdaq gives back part of its sprint
The Kosdaq slipped 0.1 percent to 893.3 after a 4.5 percent jump the prior day that had put the growth board within sight of 900. Alteogen, a biotech heavyweight on the secondary board, fell 2.1 percent to 259,500 won.
Holiday pause and the fourth quarter setup
Saturday's National Foundation Day holiday shuts the cash market until Tuesday's open, leaving the benchmark technically above 7,000 but still far below June's record close above 9,100. Average daily turnover fell sharply in the third quarter, and strategists continue to cite oil, inflation and U.S. Treasury yields as headwinds despite upbeat third-quarter operating profit consensus for chip-heavy index members.
The won strengthened 7.86 won to 1,350.6 per dollar at the 3:30 p.m. fix, offering importers brief relief even as exporters worry about margin pressure if the currency snap-back reverses once global rates settle.
Derivative desks reported lighter volume into the close as many participants left early for Gaecheonjeol travel, which can exaggerate index moves on thin liquidity days even when fundamentals look unchanged.
Derivative desks reported lighter volume into the close as many participants left early for Gaecheonjeol travel, which can exaggerate index moves on thin liquidity days even when fundamentals look unchanged.
Goldman Sachs and other houses still publish long-dated Kospi targets above today's print, but those notes assume earnings delivery from memory chipmakers and stable foreign flows returning after the holiday. Until Tuesday's open, the 7,000 handle is a psychological marker rather than a confirmed trend.