SK Hynix Earnings Miss Sparks Record 33% Monthly Plunge in Kospi

South Korean retail investors are facing a wave of despair as the Kospi Index plunged 13% in a single session, triggering circuit breakers for the second consecutive day. The decline extends a disastrous month for the exchange, with the benchmark index down a record 33% in July. The selling pressure intensified following a disappointing earnings report from SK Hynix Inc., a critical player in the global semiconductor supply chain and a bellwether for artificial intelligence demand.

While SK Hynix reported a record six-fold jump in quarterly profits, the figures failed to meet the lofty expectations set by the market's AI narrative. The subsequent selloff in Seoul reflects a deepening skepticism regarding the immediate return on investment for the massive buildout of AI infrastructure. This regional volatility has sent ripples through global chip markets, contributing to the downward pressure on tech stocks in the U.S. and Europe, as traders recalibrate the growth profiles of once-invincible semiconductor firms.