KOSPI slips below 7,000 as chip stocks drag; BTS sweeps MTV VMAs
Korean stocks slid after the Chuseok holiday, with the KOSPI dropping below 7,000 as chip heavyweights weakened, while Samsung and SK hynix pushed ahead on AI memory and subscription businesses. BTS swept its nominated categories at the 2026 MTV VMAs.
Markets & chips
Korean markets & the won
Trading resumed after the Chuseok holiday with chipmakers weighing on the main index, while policymakers flagged coordination on economic uncertainties.
Korea's main stock index closed under the 7,000 mark as large chip stocks declined in the first session after the Chuseok holiday.
Korea's finance minister and the Bank of Korea governor emphasized policy coordination to address economic uncertainties.
The Bank of Korea is under scrutiny over cybersecurity following a breach involving staff data.
Samsung Electronics
Samsung moved on several fronts, widening its streaming and subscription offerings while advancing AI memory work.
Samsung's free streaming service added creator-led channels in Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and the UK, and extended existing creator channels to Brazil and Mexico.
Samsung Electronics plans to broaden its personalized AI subscription services.
Samsung's appliance subscription business is approaching 1 trillion won in scale as it begins targeting corporate customers.
Samsung supplied private 5G network solutions for a smart office at Hana Financial Group's new Incheon headquarters, the first such deployment in Korea's financial sector.
SK hynix
SK hynix highlighted next-generation memory work, including verification of HBM5 and a CXL race with Samsung.
Samsung and SK hynix are competing for leadership in CXL memory for AI.
At TSMC's Open Innovation Platform Conference in Santa Clara, SK hynix presented its next-generation memory portfolio and development strategy and received a TSMC partner award.
Business of culture
HYBE
BTS's MTV VMA haul came as the industry maps out a crowded November comeback window.
BTS won all three categories it was nominated in at the 2026 MTV VMAs, including Song of the Year.
K-pop agencies
A wave of K-pop releases is expected in November, described as the year's final comeback window.
Food brand Bibigo is using K-pop marketing to reach consumers in Mexico.
Korean game makers
Com2uS Platform presented its Hive Axyl offering at the OpenAI Game Builder Challenge held in Tokyo.