KOSPI Plummets Over 6 Percent Amid Heavy Foreign and Institutional Selling

The South Korean stock market suffered a massive sell-off on July 16, 2026, with the benchmark KOSPI plunging 6.37 percent to close at 6,820.60 and the tech-heavy KOSDAQ dropping 4.53 percent to 791.84. Foreign and institutional investors heavily offloaded shares, registering net sales of over 1.37 trillion KRW and 2.36 trillion KRW respectively on the KOSPI, while the USD/KRW exchange rate closed at 1,488.31.

Hanwha Ocean (042660) +5.73%

P/E	P/B	EPS	Mkt Cap	ROE	Debt Ratio	52W Range
21.32	4.31	4,066	₩26.6T	25.71%	204.67%	74,000–154,800

Hanwha Ocean rose 5.73 percent despite the broader market rout, driven by the announcement of a contract to build two Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) for a North American client [2]. Analysts noted that the negative impact of failing to secure the Canadian CPSP submarine project had already been priced into the stock [3, 4], prompting bargain hunters to step in [3]. The rebound was further supported by simultaneous net buying from both foreign and institutional investors during the trading session [5].

Onconic Therapeutics Inc. (476060) +20.33%

P/E	P/B	EPS	Mkt Cap	ROE	Debt Ratio	52W Range
-59.43	11.19	-244	₩658B	-44.55%	8.74%	10,170–70,800

Onconic Therapeutics surged 20.33 percent to close at 14,500 KRW [7, 8]. The rally followed the completion of a Phase 1 clinical trial for its drug Zacubo (JP-1366), which demonstrated no drug-drug interactions across four combination therapies [11]. Additionally, investor sentiment was bolstered by the announcement of a joint research agreement with Proteina for next-generation anticancer drugs [10] and newly revealed data showing that its drug candidate Nesuparib exhibits a dual-inhibitory mechanism in endometrial cancer [12].

SamsungFire&MarineInsurance (000810) +6.05%

P/E	P/B	EPS	Mkt Cap	ROE	Debt Ratio	52W Range
17.22	1.4	40,703	₩31.3T	0.00%	317.02%	412,000–757,000

SamsungFire&MarineInsurance climbed 6.05 percent [14], defying the market's sharp downturn. The stock benefited from a target price upgrade by analysts applying a new valuation model that incorporates the value of its stake in Samsung Electronics [16, 17]. Furthermore, the insurer attracted defensive flows due to high expectations for enhanced shareholder returns and special dividends [15]. This positive outlook triggered strong buying interest, with foreign and institutional investors driving the gains through simultaneous net purchases [13].

Sources

1. '수주 불발' 현대중공업·한화오션, 목표주가 88만원·14만4천원으로 하향 — 연합인포맥스 · 2026-07-14
2. [공시 Pick] 한화오션, 북미서 VLCC 2척 따냈다…장중 주가 5%대 상승 — 뉴스투데이 · 2026-07-15
3. "쌀 때 사자…한화오션, 캐나다 수주실패 선반영"[클릭 e종목] — 아시아경제 · 2026-07-15
4. "한화오션, 캐나다 CPSP 수주 실패에 목표가 하향"-SK - 머니투데이 — 머니투데이 · 2026-07-12
5. [장중수급포착] 한화오션, 외국인/기관 동시 순매수… 주가 +4.17% — 뉴스핌 · 2026-07-15
6. 한화오션, 하반기 해양플랜트 수주 관건…목표가↓-SK — edaily.co.kr · 2026-07-12
7. 온코닉테라퓨틱스 주가, 7월 16일 14,500원 20.33% 상승 마감 — 톱스타뉴스 · 2026-07-16
8. [속보] 온코닉테라퓨틱스, 오후 들어 주가 급등세 전환…1만4000원선 회복 — CBC뉴스 · 2026-07-16
9. 온코닉테라퓨틱스, 주가 7월 15일 12,050원 12.41% 상승 마감 — 톱스타뉴스 · 2026-07-15
10. 프로티나, 온코닉테라퓨틱스와 차세대 항암 신약 공동연구 추진 — 매일경제 · 2026-07-15
11. 온코닉테라퓨틱스, 자큐보정 JP-1366 약물상호작용 1상 임상 완료…4종 병용약물 모두 상호작용 없음 — 디지털투데이 · 2026-07-14
12. 온코닉테라퓨틱스 "네수파립, 자궁내막암서 이중억제기전" — 히트뉴스 · 2026-07-16
13. [장중수급포착] 삼성화재, 외국인/기관 동시 순매수… 주가 +3.86% — 뉴스핌 · 2026-07-16
14. 삼성화재 주가 40,000원 상승 후 장마감 — 아시아뉴스통신 · 2026-07-16
15. BNK투자 "삼성화재 주주환원·특별배당 기대, 방어주 투자매력 높아" — 비즈니스포스트 · 2026-07-14
16. "삼성화재, 삼성전자 지분가치 반영한 새 평가방식 적용…목표가↑"-iM — 한국경제 · 2026-07-13
17. “보험 본업 든든한 삼성화재, 삼성전자 지분가치까지 더해져 ‘차별적 매력’ 부각” — 뉴스퀘스트 · 2026-07-14
18. 삼성화재 투자분석 2026. 07. 13 — 주달 · 2026-07-13

This is market commentary, not investment advice.