South Korea's currency, which closed at 1,397.7 per dollar on the 19th, its first sub-1,400 close in about 10.5 months.
South Korea's won rose for a fifth straight session to 1,338.5 per dollar on Oct. 8 even as foreigners sold about 2 trillion won of Korean shares. Seoul Economic Daily credits exporters converting chip-export dollars, so the rally holds only as long as that selling outweighs a firmer greenback.
Reality
KOSPI opened 1.11% lower on Wednesday despite overnight gains on Wall Street, then cut the loss to 0.27% by 9:15 a.m. Once the index was back near flat, the clearer signal from the morning was how far apart its large caps moved.
Reality
Foreign investors sold a net 1.75 trillion won of Korean shares on Tuesday as the KOSPI fell 0.89% to 6,941.39. Chipmakers led a drop that left breadth near even, so global bond yields are steering the index until third-quarter earnings give investors company numbers to price.
Perspective Coverage
3 publishersReality
South Koreans sent $210.3 million abroad to buy property in the first four months of 2026, nearly 35% of 2025's five-year-high total of $590.5 million. The pace points to a record year, and a Korean tax rule that ignores foreign homes explains it at least as well as the stronger won does.
Reality
The won closed at 1,397.7 on the 19th, down 14.1 in a session, even as the U.S. 30-year yield hit its highest since 2007. Exporter flow, not rate differentials, set the price.
Reality