stocks-open

▲ This photo taken Oct. 16, 2026, shows the dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul after the market close. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Oct. 19 (Yonhap) -- Seoul shares opened sharply lower Monday in the wake of a technology-centered sell-off on Wall Street, as concerns mount over whether heavy investment in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure can generate sufficient returns.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) opened down 179.64 points, or 3.17 percent, at 5,488.41 at the opening bell.

The KOSPI rose 2.05 percent to close at 5,668.05 on Friday, snapping a seven-session losing streak during which it had fallen 6.3 percent.

On Friday (U.S. time), the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.34 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite plunged 2.14 percent.

Investors remain cautious ahead of earnings reports from major companies, including Tesla and Meta Platforms, due this week, as well as the Nov. 3 U.S. midterm elections, amid continued uncertainty over the interest rate outlook, analysts said.

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