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Shares retreat in last session of the year; 2025 gains exceed 75 percent

Published: 30 Dec. 2025, 17:33

A screen in Hana Bank's trading room in central Seoul shows the Kospi closing at 4,214.17 points on Dec. 30, down 6.39 points, or 0.15 percent, from the previous trading session. [YONHAP]

Korean stocks closed slightly lower Tuesday despite gains in big-cap semiconductor shares as investors locked in profits from recent gains in the year-end session. The local currency fell against the U.S. dollar.

The Kospi shed 6.39 points, or 0.15 percent, to close at 4,214.17, ending a two-day winning streak.

Trade volume was moderate at 398.49 million shares worth 12.69 trillion won ($8.81 billion), with losers beating winners 544 to 329.

The index opened lower, tracking overnight losses on Wall Street, but moved within a tight range throughout the session before ending with a modest decline.

Offshore and institutional investors sold a net 491.19 billion won and 366.19 billion won worth of shares, respectively, while retail investors bought a net 820.13 billion won.

For 2025, the Kospi surged 75.7 percent, making it one of the world's best-performing stock indexes. The benchmark hit a record high of 4,221.87 on Nov. 3.

Trading in the new year will begin at 10 a.m. Friday.

Top-cap shares finished mixed on Tuesday.

A screen in Hana Bank's trading room in central Seoul shows the Kospi closing at 4,214.17 points on Dec. 30, down 6.39 points, or 0.15 percent, from the previous trading session. [YONHAP]

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics rose 0.33 percent to 119,900 won, setting a record high amid an industry upcycle. Chip giant SK hynix soared 1.72 percent to 651,000 won, also marking an all-time high.

But leading battery maker LG Energy Solution slid 3.03 percent to 368,500 won as it announced the cancellation of a supply deal worth 3.9 trillion won that was signed with U.S.-based battery pack producer Freudenberg Battery Power System.

Bio giant Samsung Biologics shed 0.64 percent to 1,695,000 won, while Celltrion retreated 0.17 percent to 181,000 won.

Carmakers gathered ground. Top automaker Hyundai Motor advanced 1.02 percent to 296,500 won, and its sister affiliate Kia increased 0.58 percent to 121,800 won.

Shipbuilders fell. Leading shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy sank 2.68 percent to 509,000 won, while its rival Hanwha Ocean lost 1.73 percent to 113,600 won.

A screen in Hana Bank's trading room in central Seoul shows the Kospi closing at 4,214.17 points on Dec. 30, down 6.39 points, or 0.15 percent, from the previous trading session. [YONHAP]

Defense giant Hanwha Aerospace skidded 0.84 percent to 941,000 won, and nuclear power plant builder Doosan Enerbility decreased 1.57 percent to 75,300 won.

Leading financial group KB Financial dipped 0.72 percent to 124,700 won, and No. 1 steelmaker Posco dropped 2.87 percent to 305,000 won.

The local currency was quoted at 1,439.0 won against the greenback at 3:30 p.m., up 0.64 percent from the previous session's close of 1,429.8 won.

Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, ended lower. The yield on three-year Treasurys rose 1.3 basis points to 2.952 percent, while the return on the benchmark five-year government bonds went up 1.4 basis points to 3.240 percent.

Yonhap