Korea’s Won: Seoul Says Immune, Washington Says Tariffs
Seoul’s central bank called the won immune; Washington put Samsung and SK Hynix on notice. The won ended the week stronger at 1,350.4.
Is SK Square Just Cheaper SK Hynix? Not Quite.
EWY holds SK Hynix twice — directly, and through SK Square at a 46 percent discount that an activist and buybacks are pushing to close.
The AI Boom Reached Korea’s Parts Bin — It Books in 2027
Samsung Electro-Mechanics won a ₩1.07tn AI-server MLCC contract that books in 2027. Korea’s AI cycle reaches the parts makers on a lag.
Hanwha Signed a Spanish Defense Deal — and Withheld the Price
Hanwha Aerospace signed a Spanish defense contract with Indra, then withheld the price. Investors got a ₩667bn regulatory floor and nothing above it.
Hyundai Canceled ₩789bn in Stock. The Price Fell.
Hyundai canceled ₩789bn of its own shares and the stock still fell. Why a Korean cancellation is not a US buyback, and what it means for EWY holders.
SK Rebuilt Its Group — SK Hynix Stayed Put
SK Group absorbed a battery unit, spun off a data-center firm, and sold 49% of it for ₩3.08tn — none of it touched SK Hynix, the core of EWY.
Korea’s Indexes Split Again — the Reverse of Last Week
KOSPI rose and KOSDAQ fell for a second day — the mirror image of last week. If you own EWY, you own the large-cap half in the tariff line of fire.
Your EWY Dropped Four Korea Stocks Today
MSCI dropped four names from EWY and added LG Innotek at the August close. The 41% core of the fund, Samsung and SK Hynix, did not move.
KOSPI’s Week: The Whole 1.8% Loss Was Friday
KOSPI finished last week down 1.8% — but the whole loss was Friday. The index round-tripped a Monday crash by Thursday; Samsung didn’t, and KOSDAQ rose 4.6%.
Did the Bank of Korea Raise Rates? Yes, to 3%.
On Aug 27 the Bank of Korea raised its base rate to 3% and its governor said “preemptive” 14 times — the same week the Fed’s Warsh refused to signal his next move.