South Korea's KOSPI Slides 7.6% as Semiconductor Concerns, U.S. CPI, ASML and TSMC Earnings Loom

South Korea's KOSPI index closed at 7,475.94 this week, down 7.6% from the previous week, as semiconductor peak-out concerns resurfaced following Samsung Electronics' record Q2 earnings of 84.9 trillion won. The index remained highly volatile, swinging on chip sector uncertainty and geopolitical tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Market focus shifts to key catalysts arriving through July 16: the U.S. June CPI release on July 14, ASML's second-quarter earnings on July 15, TSMC's earnings on July 16, and South Korea's central bank monetary policy decision on July 16. The Bank of Korea is widely expected to raise its benchmark rate by 25 basis points to 2.75%, marking the first increase since January 2023.