---
title: "STOCKS | South Korean and Japanese Stock Markets Experience Sharp Declines"
type: "News"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/286527514.md"
description: "On May 15, South Korean stocks fell sharply, with the KOSPI down 6.12% to 7,493.18 points, ending a five-week gain streak. Major stocks like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix saw significant declines. In Japan, the Nikkei index dropped 2% to 61,409.29 points, influenced by sell-offs in tech stocks, particularly Advantest, which fell by 7.9%. Foreign investors sold off stocks worth approximately $3.73 billion in South Korea."
datetime: "2026-05-15T07:46:16.000Z"
locales:
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/286527514.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286527514.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/286527514.md)
---

# STOCKS | South Korean and Japanese Stock Markets Experience Sharp Declines

On May 15, South Korean stocks saw a significant drop, ending a five-week streak of gains. According to Jin10, the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed down by 488.23 points, or 6.12%, at 7,493.18 points, marking a weekly decline of 0.1%. Earlier in the day, the index had risen by 0.82% to reach a record high of 8,046.78 points. Major stocks such as Samsung Electronics fell by 8.61%, SK Hynix by 7.66%, and battery manufacturer LG Energy Solution by 5.66%. Foreign investors sold off stocks worth 5.6 trillion Korean won (approximately $3.73 billion). In Japan, the Nikkei index also experienced a sharp decline on Friday, leading to a weekly loss as traders sold off strong-performing tech stocks ahead of the weekend. The Nikkei fell by 2%, or about 1,245 points, closing at 61,409.29 points, after an earlier rise of 0.9%. Advantest, a chip testing equipment manufacturer, was the biggest drag on the index, plummeting by 7.9%. Meanwhile, the Topix index rose by 0.9% for the week, while the Nikkei dropped by 2.1%.

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