South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI closed more than 2 percent higher on September 18, rebounding a day after markets absorbed the shock of a US Federal Reserve rate increase. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that softer international oil prices, lower US Treasury yields and strength in US semiconductor shares helped revive risk appetite. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix were among the large chip names that posted strong gains during the session.
The rebound shows how quickly Korean equities are being pulled between tighter global monetary conditions and changes in energy, bond and semiconductor markets. A single strong session does not remove the pressure from higher interest rates, but it did reverse the immediate selloff that followed the Fed move. Investors remain exposed to the next shifts in US yields, oil prices and the global chip cycle.