Global chip selloff drags KOSPI down 1.96% as Samsung and SK Hynix fall

South Korean stocks fell Tuesday, tracking Wall Street losses amid a global selloff of semiconductor shares ahead of Nvidia's earnings. The KOSPI index dropped 1.96 percent to 6,565.89 points. Chip giants Samsung Electronics fell 1.95 percent and SK Hynix dropped 4.55 percent, while LG Energy Solution declined 3.04 percent. The Korean won strengthened slightly, and foreign investors were net sellers of 1.9255 trillion won. The benchmark 10-year government bond yield fell 0.7 basis points to 4.331 percent. SK Hynix union members narrowly rejected a preliminary wage deal, while Hyundai Motor's union reached a tentative agreement after its first full strike in a decade.