Summary
Reporter Ryu Jong-eun covers a historic 10% KOSPI crash driven by semiconductor fears, the Japan earthquake halting TSMC, Toyota, and Honda factories, and Google Waymo's stealthy entry into Korea. She presents short-term rebound possibilities, long ideas in Hyundai Motor and SK hynix, and cautious views on chip supply disruptions.
- KOSPI suffered a 10% single-day drop, rare outside past financial crises, but YTD gains and fundamentals still positive.
- Short-term technical bounce expected; individual investors poured 730 billion won into leveraged ETFs hoping for a rebound.
- Japan earthquake halted TSMC, Toyota, Honda, Yamaha, and Kirin factories, threatening semiconductor and auto supply chains.
- Hyundai Motor may benefit short-term from Japanese auto production halt and from Google Waymo's new Korean subsidiary.
- SK hynix posted record quarterly profits but slightly missed consensus; buyback/burn policy is the next catalyst for sentiment.
- Waymo established a Korean legal entity; Level 4 autonomous regulations are ready, allowing immediate robotaxi operations.
- Oil prices spike again after Iran missile report, making energy forecasts unreliable.
- Circuit breakers were triggered repeatedly this year, sparking debate about their effectiveness.