Samsung and SK Hynix fall despite US chip rally as foreign investors sell Korean shares

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix fell in Seoul on Tuesday despite a US semiconductor stock rebound, with SK Hynix dropping 3.6% and Samsung losing 1.5% as foreign investors continued selling Korean shares. Overseas investors sold 605.8 billion won ($456 million) of KOSPI shares by mid-morning, adding to over 11 trillion won withdrawn the previous week, while the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index rose 1.61% on Monday, ending an eight-session losing streak. SK Hynix faces additional pressure from a potential US listing of its Solidigm subsidiary, which regulators said could violate minority shareholder protections, while analysts debate whether current AI memory demand justifies sustained profit margins.