South Korea's stock market trading hits yearly low as AI hype cools, dragging down chip stocks The average daily trading volume of South Korea's KOSPI index in September dropped to 20.6 trillion won, approximately $15 billion, marking the lowest level since 2026. This is less than half of the peak levels seen in May and June, with August's daily average at 25.77 trillion won. Earlier this year, the AI boom briefly drove retail investors into the market, pushing the index to record highs. However, doubts about returns in July triggered a sell-off of around 22%. Although the index rebounded afterward, it still failed to stabilize above the 7,000-point mark. As of September 14, the combined market value of KOSPI and KOSDAQ evaporated by 212.6 trillion won in a month, falling 24.66% from the June 22 peak. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have dropped 30.1% and 39.3% from their respective highs.