Samsung, SK Hynix Fall Over 5% in Premarket Trading Amid U.S. Semiconductor Selloff and U.S.-Iran Tensions

According to Seoul Gyeongje reporting, on July 20, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix fell over 5% in premarket trading. Samsung traded at 242,000 Korean won, down 5.10%, while SK Hynix declined 5.59% to 1,739,000 Korean won.

The declines followed overnight weakness in U.S. semiconductor stocks, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index falling over 4% during the holiday period. Despite TSMC posting better-than-expected earnings, investors sold semiconductor shares on persistent concerns about slowing AI demand and rising competition from Chinese AI firms. Geopolitical tensions also weighed on sentiment, with the U.S. conducting additional airstrikes on Iran while Iranian forces reportedly intercepted some vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.