South Korea's KOSPI index extends its decline to 7%, with SK Hynix falling 10%.

On the Hyperliquid platform, the combined 24-hour trading volume of SKHX and SKHY—contracts tied to SK Hynix—has reached $1.765 billion, surpassing BTC to become the platform’s top active asset by trading volume. SKHX posted a 24-hour trading volume of $1.327 billion with an open interest (OI) of $492 million, while SKHY notched $439 million in 24-hour trading volume and $71 million in open interest.

According to Bitget market data, South Korea’s KOSPI index broke below 5,500 points, down 8.73% on the day. SK Hynix dropped more than 14%, while Samsung Electronics fell nearly 9%.

The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) saw its intraday decline exceed 8% at one point today, triggering the market’s circuit breaker mechanism, falling below the 5,600-point threshold to hit a recent low. This marks the ninth time South Korea’s stock market has triggered the circuit breaker this year, and the second consecutive trading day it has done so. Earlier market views had argued that South Korea’s circuit breaker mechanism was no longer effective, failing to effectively halt sell-offs. The core drivers behind this slump are the revaluation of AI semiconductor stocks coupled with structural flaws in South Korea’s market. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix together account for over 40% of KOSPI’s total market capitalization, meaning fluctuations in these two stocks alone can sway the broader market’s direction.

According to Bitget market data, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Tech Index rose more than 2.3% intraday, while the Hang Seng Index gained 1.40%. MiniMax (00100.HK) jumped over 8%, Li Auto (02015.HK) surged more than 10%, Xiaomi Group (01810.HK) rose over 9%, Leapmotor (09863.HK) climbed nearly 8%, and Tencent Holdings (00700.HK) gained more than 4%.

South Korea’s stock market has fallen sharply for the second consecutive day. Chipmaker SK Hynix’s second-quarter earnings missed estimates, extending the sector’s slump, while retail investors have been cutting positions en masse. After closing down 10% on Tuesday, South Korea’s KOSPI index plunged another 8% on Wednesday. So far in July, the KOSPI has dropped over 30%, on track to record its worst monthly decline in history. The index rallied sharply earlier this year, with gains almost entirely driven by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. After closing down 14% on Tuesday, SK Hynix’s shares plummeted 12% on Wednesday, wiping out roughly one-fifth of its market value in two days. Investors are now awaiting earnings reports from Samsung Electronics and other major U.S. tech companies due on Thursday. (Jin10)

South Korean exchanges have activated the circuit breaker mechanism for the KOSPI index, suspending trading for 20 minutes. The KOSDAQ index had already triggered the circuit breaker earlier. The KOSPI index is currently down 8.17%.