[South Korea's IPO Market Cools Down as Investors Flock to Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix] Odaily Planet Daily News: South Korea's IPO market has cooled rapidly after a strong performance in the first half of the year, with newly listed companies experiencing significant stock price declines post-listing due to heightened market uncertainty and shifting investor sentiment. Data from the Korea Exchange on Sunday shows that 14 out of the 18 companies listed this year are currently trading below their offering prices, with star IPOs in the tech and fashion sectors leading the decline. Market analysts attribute this to overvalued IPO pricing and the rapid exit of short-term speculative funds after listing. Although regulators have recently tightened lock-up period requirements for institutional investors, macroeconomic shocks and supply-demand imbalances have made newly listed small- and mid-cap stocks particularly vulnerable. Observers note that domestic liquidity remains heavily concentrated in large-cap stocks within the artificial intelligence and semiconductor supply chain sectors, leaving little capital for newer, less mature listed companies. South Korea's financial industry is now pinning its hopes on a batch of large enterprises and high-valuation companies set to go public in the second half of the year to drive market recovery. Meanwhile, new dual-listing guidelines have also been released. (Jin10)