Odaily: South Korea's KOSPI index closed down 304.33 points, or 4.46%, at 6,516.27 on Monday, July 20. SK Hynix fell 4.23%, and Samsung Electronics dropped 4.31%.

According to Odaily, retail investors in South Korea who have placed leveraged bets on AI are suffering massive losses amid a sharp market reversal, exposing the risks brought about by speculative trading frenzy. The losses have been particularly severe for investors holding single-stock leveraged ETFs linked to Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. According to KB Financial Group, since the launch of single-stock leveraged ETFs on May 27, South Korean retail investors have net purchased 14 trillion Korean won (approximately $9.4 billion), while foreign investors have purchased around 2 trillion Korean won. Currently, the situation is not favorable for them. According to LSEG data, the KODEX SK Hynix Leveraged ETF, which offers 2x long exposure to SK Hynix shares, has fallen approximately 70% from its peak in June, and has also declined by about 50% since its inception.

One investor wrote on a South Korean online trading forum: "I want to go back to before I started investing in stocks. Give me my money back." (CNBC)

Odaily Planet Daily News: Kim Byung-yeon, a director of the Research Division of the Investment Strategy Department at NH Investment & Securities, stated at a meeting with a visiting delegation of journalists and analysts held at the Korea Exchange headquarters in Seoul on July 20, that the current Korean stock market has already reflected concerns over a semiconductor peak, geopolitical anxieties, and supply-demand disruptions, making the decline excessive.

NH Investment & Securities sets the lower range of the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) at 5,800 to 6,250 points and believes the index is more likely to rebound to the low-to-mid 7,000-point range after a sharp price correction, before stabilizing according to the cloud revenue growth rate and capital expenditure plans of major US technology companies.

Kim Byung-yeon stated that attention should be paid to the absolute level of semiconductor exports rather than the export growth rate. The institution estimates that the net profit of the semiconductor industry will increase from 217 trillion won last year to 759 trillion won this year and 1,019 trillion won next year, with a net profit growth rate of 34% next year.

Odaily reported that South Korea's KOSPI index fell 5%, with investors liquidating positions related to artificial intelligence trades. The index is extending a four-week losing streak, now down 28% from its record high on June 22. This sell-off highlights growing investor anxiety over the market's increasing reliance on leveraged bets on AI chipmakers. South Korea, which has served as a key barometer of the AI boom's enthusiasm, is now feeling the downward pressure as market sentiment turns negative.

"Although South Korea remains a preferred market in our allocation model, given the ongoing market volatility, we have downgraded its rating from overweight to neutral," Citigroup analysts stated, maintaining their target of 10,000 points for the KOSPI index. (Jin Shi)

Odaily reported that according to MSX.COM data, South Korea's KOSPI index fell sharply by 5% intraday, now standing at 6479.20 points.

Odaily Odaily reports, according to MSX.COM data, South Korea's KOSPI index touched 6500 points, down 4.72% intraday.

Odaily reported that according to Hyperinsight monitoring, SK Hynix (SKHX) on Hyperliquid experienced a sharp surge and plunge after opening this morning. It opened at $1,168.1, hitting a high of $1,270.1 within half an hour, an increase of about 8.7%. It then quickly retreated, dropping to a low of $1,185.3 at 9:55 AM, a decline of about 6.7% from the peak.

During this volatility, three whales successively established long positions in SKHX, holding a total of 11,620.674 contracts, with a position value of approximately $14.036 million. Based on SK Hynix's current price of $1,198, all three long positions are currently underwater:

- Whale starting with 0xf4b: Newly opened a long position, 10x full position worth about $2.715 million, average price $1,210.659, unrealized loss of about $9,000, liquidation price $1,130.40;

- Whale starting with 0x564: Newly opened a long position, 10x position worth about $4.918 million, average price $1,238.912, unrealized loss of about $125,000, liquidation price $851.59;

- Whale starting with 0x2ab: Closed short positions and turned long, continuously increasing the position, 10x position worth about $6.403 million, average entry price $1,212.854, unrealized loss of about $25,000, liquidation price $650.33.

Among them, the 0xf4b whale is closest to liquidation. When SKHX dropped to $1,185.3 during the session, the difference was only about $54.9. As the price rebounded to $1,298, the distance has now widened to approximately $68.

Odaily Planet Daily News: Citigroup has downgraded its rating on the South Korean stock market to "neutral," citing heightened volatility in the market trading environment.

Odaily reported that according to data from MSX.COM, South Korea's KOSPI index has fallen over 4% again. SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics both dropped 4.4%.

Odaily reported that the Korean stock market is attempting to rebound after a recent sharp correction. However, some analysts believe it will not be easy to recoup previous highs within the third quarter. As KOSPI margin debt remains at elevated levels, market volatility could expand further. It is expected that the Korean stock market will maintain a range-bound, direction-seeking trend until the end of the year.

Kim Jun-young, a researcher at iM Securities, stated in a report on the 20th: "Rather than expecting the KOSPI index to return to its previous highs within the third quarter, it is more likely that the market will remain in a phase of range-bound consolidation and direction-seeking, a scenario that could extend until the year-end." "The persistently high margin debt levels imply that elevated market volatility could further magnify index fluctuations," he added. "If the index falls further, we also need to be wary of the risk of credit selling triggered by margin call liquidations." (Golden Ten)

According to data from MSX.COM, SK Hynix has turned positive after dropping over 5%, while Samsung Electronics has nearly erased its losses.

According to data from MSX.COM, South Korea's KOSPI index opened down 283.95 points, or 4.16%, at 6,536.65 points on Monday, July 20. Both Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix fell by more than 5%.