KOSPI fell 2.4% over 19–22 October. KOSPI 200 construction rose 5.5% and pharmaceuticals 1.9%
From the close on 16 October to 22 October the KOSPI slipped from 5,668 to 5,534. Of 51 KOSPI sector and size indices, 9 rose. Medical & precision instruments fell 8.6%, chemicals 6.6% and metals 6.4%.
AI-assisted, human-reviewed sourcing. Figures are pulled programmatically from the official sources listed at the end of this article and checked by an editor before publication.
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The KOSPI’s week ran up, down, up, down: +1.76% on Monday 19 October, −3.73% on Tuesday, +3.29% on Wednesday, −3.52% on Thursday. From Friday 16 October’s close to Thursday’s, the index lost 2.37%, to 5,533.77.
That is mild by October’s standards. The month to date is −19.07%.
What rose
| KOSPI index | Stocks | 16→22 Oct | October to date |
|---|---|---|---|
| KOSPI 200 construction | 10 | +5.50% | −9.97% |
| General services | 32 | +3.02% | −0.61% |
| Pharmaceuticals | 49 | +1.88% | +1.21% |
| Insurance | 11 | +1.24% | −9.45% |
| KOSPI 200 healthcare | 14 | +0.46% | −0.38% |
| Electricity & gas | 10 | +0.30% | −3.23% |
What fell most
| KOSPI index | Stocks | 16→22 Oct | October to date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical & precision instruments | 8 | −8.64% | −0.92% |
| Chemicals | 102 | −6.55% | −9.33% |
| Metals | 60 | −6.38% | −14.25% |
| Textiles & apparel | 27 | −6.30% | −3.60% |
| Transport equipment & parts | 60 | −5.97% | −15.57% |
| KOSPI 200 heavy industries | 17 | −5.85% | −23.72% |
The big names held up better than the middle
| KOSPI size index | 16→22 Oct | October to date |
|---|---|---|
| KOSPI large caps (100) | −2.31% | −20.09% |
| KOSPI mid caps (200) | −3.13% | −8.11% |
| KOSPI small caps (526) | −2.07% | −4.09% |
| KOSPI 200 information technology | −3.18% | −24.69% |
This week the gap between large and small was small. Over the month it is wide: large caps down a fifth, small caps down 4% (why October split the market by size). KOSPI 200 information technology, the index that carried the year (+92.40% year to date as published), is down 24.69% in October.
One index that has gone its own way all month
The entertainment & culture index was flat this week (+0.08%) but is up 6.87% for October while the KOSPI is down 19% (the story).
Data & Verification Notes
- Data as of
- Sources
- Korea Exchange index data via data.go.kr (Financial Services Commission, index quotes) — Daily closes of KOSPI-series indices on 16 and 22 October and 30 September 2026, with constituent counts and year-to-date change as published. Collected daily by SeoulMarkets.
- Cross-checks
- KOSPI 5,668.05 (16 Oct) → 5,533.77 (22 Oct), −2.37%; 6,838.04 on 30 Sep, so −19.07% for October to date.
- Daily KOSPI: 19 Oct +1.76%, 20 Oct −3.73%, 21 Oct +3.29%, 22 Oct −3.52%.
- Rising KOSPI-series indices 16→22 Oct (9 of 51, excluding total-return and dollar variants): KOSPI 200 construction +5.50, general services +3.02, pharmaceuticals +1.88, insurance +1.24, KOSPI 200 healthcare +0.46, electricity & gas +0.30, entertainment & culture +0.08, IT services +0.03, food & beverage +0.02.
- Excluded figures
- 23 October, which the public data service had not yet published when we wrote.
- Index constituents and weights, which the daily file does not list.
- This is not investment advice.
The full dataset behind these figures — every listed company, every row — is available to license. SeoulMarkets data for licence →
Not investment advice. SMarkets publishes data journalism for general information only. Nothing here is investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any security — any investment you make is at your own risk and responsibility. Figures are derived from official public data sources and may be revised by the issuing agency. Verify independently before acting.
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