On the morning of October 17, the domestic stock market opened weaker. While foreign investor selling dragged down the index, retail investors engaged in bargain hunting, defending against a steeper decline.

The KOSPI index opened at 8,622.13, down 1.2% from the previous trading day. The KOSDAQ index also began trading at 1,019.88 but showed a synchronous decline from the early minutes of the session.

Foreign selling was clearly dominant in early trading. Following a recent sharp short-term rally, profit-taking movements and expanded volatility in global markets have led to some outflow of foreign capital. On the other hand, retail investors are treating this index correction as a buying opportunity and responding with net purchases.

The market analyzes that the weakness centered on tech stocks in the U.S. stock market and a contraction in global investor sentiment are putting pressure on the domestic market. In particular, selling pressure is interpreted to have increased as sell orders poured in, centering on large-cap growth stocks such as semiconductors and secondary batteries.

However, there is also the possibility that the decline could be limited if retail buying continues to flow in steadily. The forecast is that the index's trajectory may vary depending on the direction of institutional investors' trading and the intensity of foreign selling during the session.

The securities industry believes that while profit-taking sell-offs may continue given the market's recent sharp gains over a short period, rebound attempts are also possible depending on supply and demand stability. Investors are advised to monitor intraday market trends, focusing on foreign trading patterns and major sector movements.

[※ This article was written with AI assistance. Investment decisions are the responsibility of the individual investor, and the content included in this article may change depending on market conditions.]