KRX:KOSPI · MA20 · MA60 · RSI(14) · MACD · 3-month daily
KOSPI hit the brakes on Friday after a three-day run to fresh all-time highs near 6,500, and the session told two very different stories. On one side, the SK Group ecosystem lit up green — powered by a blockbuster Vietnam data center deal that has "K-AI value chain" written all over it. On the other, Korean automakers got absolutely hammered as crude oil ripped higher for a fourth straight day on Iran tensions and Strait of Hormuz mine-laying fears.
Let me walk you through exactly what happened, why it matters, and which names deserve your attention — whether you're watching from New York, London, or anywhere else.
KRX:KOSPI · Full price history since listing · All-Time High marked
KRX:KOSPI · MA20 · MA60 · MA200 · RSI(14) · MACD signal
Today's KOSPI Snapshot — April 24, 2026
| Stock | Ticker | Close (KRW) | Change | Sector | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SK Corp | 034730.KS | 406,000 | +2.40% | Holding / AI Infra | 🟢 Gainer |
| SK Telecom | 017670.KS | 101,100 | +2.33% | Telecom / AI | 🟢 Gainer |
| SK Hynix | 000660.KS | 1,229,000 | +0.33% | Semiconductors | 🟢 Gainer |
| Samsung Biologics | 207940.KS | 1,518,000 | +0.26% | Biopharma CDMO | 🟢 Gainer |
| LG Energy Solution | 373220.KS | 467,500 | +0.21% | EV Batteries | 🟢 Gainer |
| Hyundai Mobis | 012330.KS | 427,500 | -3.39% | Auto Parts | 🔴 Loser |
| Hyundai Motor | 005380.KS | 515,000 | -3.20% | Automaker | 🔴 Loser |
| Kia Corp | 000270.KS | 154,400 | -2.53% | Automaker | 🔴 Loser |
| LG Chem | 051910.KS | 383,000 | -2.17% | Chemicals / Batteries | 🔴 Loser |
| Samsung Life | 032830.KS | 251,000 | -1.76% | Insurance | 🔴 Loser |
The split is almost too clean: AI and infrastructure names up, everything exposed to oil prices and consumer demand down. Let's dig in.
The Winners: SK Group's Vietnam AI Push Is the Real Deal
SK Corp (034730.KS) — +2.40% | The Holding Company Pulling the Strings
What they do: SK Corp is the top-level holding company of the SK Group conglomerate — one of Korea's largest chaebols. It controls stakes in SK Hynix (semiconductors), SK Telecom (telecom/AI), SK Innovation (energy), and dozens of other subsidiaries. Think of it as the Berkshire Hathaway of Korea's tech-industrial complex.
Why it moved: Headlines broke this week that SK is exporting a full "K-AI value chain" to Vietnam — we're talking data centers AND power supply infrastructure, bundled together. This isn't just selling chips or cloud services. It's a complete ecosystem play: SK Hynix provides the HBM memory, SK Telecom supplies the AI platform layer, and SK's energy arm handles the power grid. Vietnam needs all of it desperately as it tries to become Southeast Asia's manufacturing and tech hub.
The way I see it, this is SK playing a game that Western conglomerates can't easily replicate — vertically integrated infrastructure exports. When NVIDIA (NVDA) sells GPUs, it sells GPUs. When SK goes to Vietnam, it sells the entire stack.
Foreign Investor Angle: SK Corp is freely tradable by foreign investors on the Korea Exchange (KRX) with no meaningful ownership cap issues. It's also a component of the iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY), making it accessible indirectly for those who don't have a Korean brokerage account. Liquidity is solid.
SK Telecom (017670.KS) — +2.33% | Korea's AI Telecom Play
What they do: South Korea's largest mobile carrier, but increasingly an AI and cloud services company. They operate AI platforms, have investments in autonomous driving, and run enterprise AI solutions. Think AT&T (T) if AT&T were actually good at pivoting to tech.
Why it moved: Same Vietnam catalyst as the parent company — SK Telecom is expected to be a key service layer provider for the Vietnamese data center buildout. But there's a secondary driver here: SK Telecom has been quietly signing enterprise AI contracts across Southeast Asia for months, and the market is finally pricing in the recurring revenue potential.
Foreign Investor Angle: Fully accessible, no ownership restrictions for foreigners. SK Telecom also has an ADR listed on the NYSE (SKM), which is incredibly convenient for US-based investors who want direct exposure without dealing with KRX trading hours or won-denominated accounts.
Global indices · 30-day return · KOSPI highlighted
SK Hynix (000660.KS) — +0.33% | The HBM King Keeps Grinding
What they do: The world's second-largest memory chipmaker and, crucially, the dominant supplier of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) chips used in NVIDIA's AI GPUs. If you're bullish on AI infrastructure, SK Hynix is the Korean name you need to know.
Only a modest +0.33% gain today, but context matters: this stock has been on a monster run, trading near ₩1,229,000 per share. At these levels, even a small green close on a profit-taking day is noteworthy. The Vietnam deal adds another demand vector — more data centers in Southeast Asia means more HBM, more DRAM, more NAND. Simple math.
Hot take: SK Hynix at these levels isn't cheap by any traditional metric, but traditional metrics don't capture what happens when every government on Earth suddenly needs sovereign AI compute. I could be wrong here, but the demand runway for HBM looks like it extends well into 2028.
Foreign Investor Angle: No ownership cap issues. Foreign ownership already sits around 50%+ — this is one of the most globally owned Korean stocks. Also accessible via EWY or the VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) indirectly, though direct KRX purchase gives full exposure.
The Losers: Oil Spike Torches Korean Autos
Hyundai Motor (005380.KS) — -3.20% & Kia Corp (000270.KS) — -2.53%
What they do: Korea's two automotive giants. Hyundai and Kia (Kia is ~34% owned by Hyundai Motor Group) are the world's third-largest automaker by volume. They sell everything from budget sedans to the Ioniq EV lineup and Genesis luxury brand. Major competitors to Toyota (TM) and Volkswagen (VWAGY).
Why they got crushed: International oil prices have surged for four consecutive days on reports of Iranian air defense activity and — more critically — potential mine-laying in the Strait of Hormuz. Diesel prices in Korea just hit ₩2,000/liter for the first time in nearly four years. When energy costs spike, it hits automakers from two directions: (1) higher manufacturing and logistics costs, and (2) consumer demand pullback as drivers feel the pain at the pump.
Here's the uncomfortable irony — Hyundai and Kia have been aggressively pushing EVs, which theoretically benefit from high oil. But in practice, their ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles still make up the bulk of profits, especially in emerging markets. A sustained oil shock hurts the bread-and-butter business right now, while EV benefits take quarters to materialize.
My take: The -3%+ selloff feels slightly overdone on a single-day basis, but if Hormuz tensions escalate further, there's more downside. Watch Brent crude closely — if it breaks above $95, Korean auto names could see another 5-7% correction easily.
Foreign Investor Angle: Both Hyundai Motor and Kia are freely tradable by foreigners. Hyundai also has a GDR (Global Depositary Receipt) that trades in some European markets. For US investors, EWY gives basket exposure, but these two names are among EWY's top holdings — so the auto selloff drags the whole ETF.
Hyundai Mobis (012330.KS) — -3.39% | The Biggest Loser Today
What they do: Hyundai Motor Group's auto parts and modules arm. They make everything from chassis modules to advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and EV components. Think of them as the Aptiv (APTV) or Magna (MGA) of Korea — tier-one auto supplier, deeply tied to Hyundai/Kia production volumes.
Mobis took the hardest hit at -3.39%, which makes sense: when automakers cut production guidance (which markets are pre-pricing), the parts suppliers feel it first and worst. Mobis has less pricing power than the OEMs and carries notable fixed-cost exposure.
Foreign Investor Angle: Freely accessible on KRX. Foreign ownership is moderate (~30-35%). No ADR available, so direct Korean market access or EWY is the route.
LG Chem (051910.KS) — -2.17% | Caught in the Crossfire
What they do: Korea's largest chemical company and the parent/majority owner of LG Energy Solution (the battery maker). LG Chem produces petrochemicals, advanced materials, and pharmaceutical ingredients. The chemicals division is heavily exposed to oil-derived feedstock costs.
The -2.17% drop is a direct oil shock consequence. When crude spikes, naphtha — LG Chem's key feedstock — gets more expensive, compressing margins before the company can pass costs through. It's a lagging pricing mechanism that punishes the stock immediately. Interestingly, subsidiary LG Energy Solution (373220.KS) actually e