Korean Memory Chip Giants' Stock Declines Cost Korea's Pension Fund $137 Billion

On October 19, affected by declines in the stock prices of companies such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, South Korea's major pension fund, the National Pension Service (NPS), suffered losses of 182 trillion won, or approximately $137 billion. According to statistics from financial data provider FnGuide, as of October 15, the valuation of NPS's portfolio of holdings of 5% or more in 287 listed companies had fallen from 515.93 trillion won at the end of June to 333.53 trillion won. This marks the fund's first quarterly decline since the fourth quarter of 2024; for NPS, which posted record-high returns in the first half of the year, this situation amounts to a dramatic reversal.