Korean Markets Slump at Midday as SK eternix and S-Oil Buck the Trend

The Korean stock market experienced a sharp downturn at midday, with the KOSPI dropping 3.57% to 6,577.32 and the KOSDAQ falling 4.72% to 754.49. Meanwhile, the USD/KRW exchange rate stood at 1,486.12, reflecting heightened market volatility. Despite the broader sell-off, selected energy and healthcare stocks managed to post notable gains.

SK eternix (475150) +7.31%

P/E	P/B	EPS	Mkt Cap	ROE	Debt Ratio	52W Range
61.76	6.94	910	₩1.9T	9.60%	419.70%	17,210–69,300

SK eternix rose 7.31% at midday, buoyed by rising international oil prices that highlighted its position as a key renewable energy play [1]. The stock also benefited from strong institutional and foreign buying, including a seven-day consecutive buying streak by institutions and expanded foreign holdings [2][3][6]. Additionally, positive sentiment surrounding the influence of global private equity firm KKR acted as a tailwind [5].

ROKIT HEALTHCARE Inc. (376900) +19.34%

P/E	P/B	EPS	Mkt Cap	ROE	Debt Ratio	52W Range
-292.35	77.43	-196	₩910B	13.07%	936.15%	14,120–153,800

ROKIT HEALTHCARE Inc. surged 19.34% during the midday session, bringing its market capitalization to 0.91T KRW despite its negative earnings per share of -196.0 and a high debt ratio of 936.15%. However, because there are no recent news articles or market reports available for the company, the exact fundamental cause behind this sharp upward price movement remains completely unconfirmed at this time.

S-OilCorporation (010950) +2.35%

P/E	P/B	EPS	Mkt Cap	ROE	Debt Ratio	52W Range
97.43	1.94	1,518	₩16.7T	10.35%	201.65%	57,600–177,100

S-Oil Corporation advanced 2.35%, driven by 15 consecutive days of institutional net buying [8]. Brokerages have raised their outlooks, with Hana Securities setting a target of 200,000 KRW due to an expected negative shift in official selling prices (OSP) starting in August [12], and DB Financial Investment setting a target of 190,000 KRW to hedge against refining margin instability [10]. While the stock has surged 80% this year, the specific internal drivers behind this longer-term rally remain unconfirmed by the provided headlines [7].

Sources

1. SK이터닉스 주가 장중 10%대 상승, 국제유가 상승에 신재생에너지주 부각 — 비즈니스포스트 · 2026-07-20
2. [장중수급포착] SK이터닉스, 외국인/기관 동시 순매수… 주가 +9.23% — 뉴스핌 · 2026-07-20
3. [장중수급포착] SK이터닉스, 기관 7일 연속 순매수행진... 주가 +8.85% — 뉴스핌 · 2026-07-20
4. 최근 5거래일 SK이터닉스 주가 4만원대서 5만원대 도약 — 톱스타뉴스 · 2026-07-18
5. KKR 날개에 ‘국민 신재생주’ 된 SK이터닉스 — v.daum.net · 2026-07-16
6. 15일, 외국인 보유 비중 확대... SK이터닉스, 대원전선우, JW신약 등 — 씽크풀 AI · 2026-07-16
7. [주식도락] 올해 80% 급등한 S-Oil…증권사들 "더 오른다" 왜? — 뉴스드림 · 2026-07-16
8. [장중수급포착] S-Oil, 기관 15일 연속 순매수행진... 주가 +2.28% — 뉴스핌 · 2026-07-20
9. S-Oil우 투자분석 2026. 07. 19 — 주달 · 2026-07-19
10. [리포트 브리핑]S-Oil, '정제마진이 안정되지 않을 경우에 대비' 목표가 190,000원 - DB증권 — 뉴스핌 · 2026-07-20
11. “S-Oil과 체급 자체가 다르다…역대급 저평가 끝낸 SK이노베이션, ‘지금 사야’” — 뉴스퀘스트 · 2026-07-16
12. [리포트 브리핑]S-Oil, 'OSP 8월부터 마이너스 전환' 목표가 200,000원 - 하나증권 — 뉴스핌 · 2026-07-20

This is market commentary, not investment advice.