BlockBeats News, July 19th. According to Bloomberg, South Korea's approximately $4 trillion stock market is becoming a key window for fund managers in London, New York, and Tokyo to observe global AI risk appetite. The price fluctuations of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have continued to impact global chip stocks, with some Japanese traders including the KOSPI index in their daily watchlist.

The correlation between the South Korean market and U.S. tech stocks has significantly strengthened. Bloomberg data shows that the correlation coefficient between the KOSPI index and the Nasdaq 100 index has risen to 0.46 over 60 days, near a two-year high and three times the past five-year average of 0.16. Last week, the South Korean market plunged nearly 9% as the outlook for AI demand was questioned, leading to a spill-over effect on Wall Street, with SK Hynix ADRs falling 9.3%.

However, the high-leverage trading in the South Korean market has amplified the volatility. Since the June peak, the KOSPI index has fallen by 25%, causing a market capitalization loss of around $1 trillion, with both Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix stocks dropping by at least 30%. South Korea recently suspended the listing of new single-stock leverage trading products to curb speculation and market fluctuations.

Nevertheless, the KOSPI index is still up 62% year-to-date, leading among major global markets. Due to the critical role of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix in memory chip supply, several institutional figures believe that as long as the AI trend continues, the South Korean stock market will remain a key barometer for global AI and semiconductor trading.