Samsung, SK hynix fall up to 5% as KOSPI drops 3% on US chip selloff

South Korean chip giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix fell nearly 4 percent on Tuesday, dragging the KOSPI index down over 3 percent amid a broad selloff in US semiconductor stocks. The KOSPI opened down 2.40 percent and slipped below the 6,500 mark, with Samsung Electronics dropping 3.79 percent and SK hynix plunging 4.97 percent. Other chip-related stocks also declined, while US benchmarks were mixed with Micron and SanDisk falling sharply. Analysts attributed the correction to caution ahead of Nvidia's earnings report due August 26, following seven consecutive sessions of declines. If Nvidia's results meet expectations for AI chip demand, sentiment toward chip stocks could recover.