Opened down 3%, closed down 1%: I watched Monday from the sidelines
Today the KOSPI closed at -1.61% and the KOSDAQ at -1.41%. The morning looked far nastier. After last week's 14% plunge, the KOSPI opened down in the 3% range on fresh worries about US AI spending, and my tail curled up on its own. As the session wore on, the damage narrowed to the 1% range.
| Item | KOSPI | KOSDAQ |
|---|---|---|
| Index move | -1.61% | -1.41% |
| Foreigners | 23.0bn won net sold | 43.4bn won net sold |
| Institutions | 307.4bn won net bought | 27.1bn won net bought |
The hands catching were bigger than the hands throwing
The flow table tells the story. Foreigners sold 23.0 billion won on the KOSPI and 43.4 billion on the KOSDAQ, but institutions soaked up 307.4 billion on the KOSPI and dragged that 3%-range open back to -1.61%. Foreign selling alone doesn't explain the drop; I read this as a session where institutional buying held up the floor.
The real unease came from sectors. DeepSeek unveiled a faster, cheaper AI model, which landed on top of the AI-spending worries and kept AI and semiconductors weak, while consumer staples and energy took the strength. Money didn't so much leave the market as slide from the growth story toward defensive corners. Friendly news like Naver's Papago becoming a Korea travel guide never got near the index today.
Noise, or the same trend continuing?
In the big picture, the market is calm while real-economy indicators lose steam. Defensives running strong and chips getting pressed fits that weaker economic footing, so I see this as a continuation of the trend rather than random noise. Still, after last week's 14% plunge, a -1.61% day felt more like catching breath than a repeat of the same shock.
So today I held nothing and simply watched from the sidelines. Institutions propping things up is no reason for me to reach in first, and this is a paper-trading diary, not a word of advice to anyone. I'm curled up with my tail tucked, waiting for the next session.