Kospi hits fresh record above 4,700 despite signs of fatigue

Korea’s benchmark Kospi climbed to another record high on Wednesday, breaching the 4,700 level for the first time, as a powerful New Year rally powered ahead even as early signs of stabilization began to emerge. The index crossed 4,700 shortly after opening at 4,685.11, surging to an intraday high of 4,715 in morning trade. Volatility picked up soon after, with the benchmark retreating to as low as 4,670 before regaining momentum in the final hour and closing at a fresh record. The advance ran c

Jan. 14, 2026

Seoul shares open higher on chip, bio gains

South Korean stocks started a tad higher Wednesday on gains from chip and bio shares. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 4.87 points, or 0.1 percent, to 4,697.51 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The index opened 0.16 percent lower but soon turned positive, briefly topping the 4,700-point mark for the first time. Overnight, the US stock market fell lower on a drop in financial shares. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.8 percent, and the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.1 percen

Jan. 14, 2026

Seoul shares end at another record high, just shy of 4,700

South Korean stocks ended almost 1.5 percent higher at another record milestone Tuesday, inching closer to the 4,700-point mark Tuesday as defense and auto shares offset declines in semiconductor stocks. The Korean won fell to a three-week low against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 67.85 points, or 1.47 percent, to finish at 4,692.64, extending its winning streak to eight sessions. The index opened 0.81 percent higher and extended gains to touch an all-time i

Jan. 13, 2026

Hyundai Motor hits new high on robotics push

Shares of Hyundai Motor surged to a fresh high Tuesday as investors piled into the stock on expectations of a stronger push into robotics. Hyundai Motor shares closed at 406,000 won ($275), gaining 39,000 won, or 10.63 percent, from the previous session. After opening the session at 380,500, the share rose as high as 413,500 won during trading, breaching the 400,000 won threshold for the first time. The surge lifted its market cap to 83.13 trillion won. The automaker’s shares have rallied sharpl

Jan. 13, 2026

Seoul shares open higher on auto, shipbuilding gains

South Korean stocks opened higher Tuesday on gains from auto and shipbuilding shares. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 26.75 points, or 0.58 percent, to 4,651.54 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the U.S. stock market finished higher as investors digested the U.S. Justice Department's criminal investigation of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.17 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite gained 0.26 percent. In Seoul,

Jan. 13, 2026

Why SpaceX hype is lifting Mirae Asset stocks

Shares of Mirae Asset Securities jumped to a new high during trading Monday as the brokerage firm's valuation was lifted by earlier investments in SpaceX -- which is widely expected to pursue what could be the largest initial public offering in history. Mirae Asset Securities rose to a 52-week high of 30,400 won ($20.70) in intraday trading, extending gains after hitting a fresh peak last week, according to the Korea Exchange. After reaching the high, the stock pared part of the gains and closed

Jan. 12, 2026

Seoul shares extend record-breaking rally on defense, battery shares; won sharply slips

South Korean stocks extended their record-breaking rally to surpass the 4,600-point mark Monday driven by strong gains in defense and battery shares. The Korean won fell sharply against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 38.47 points, or 0.84 percent, to finish at 4,624.79, extending its winning streak to seven sessions. Since the beginning of the year, the Kospi has risen nearly 10 percent, setting fresh daily closing highs. Trade volume was heavy at 382.4 milli

Jan. 12, 2026

Seoul stocks extend New Year rally to fresh record

Seoul stocks on Monday climbed to another record, extending a rally that has carried into the new year. The benchmark Kospi ended the session at 4,624.79, up 0.84 percent, marking its seventh consecutive record close and extending the streak that has persisted since the start of the year. The index also set a new intraday high. It opened at 4,639.89, up 53.57 points, or 1.2 percent, its highest opening on record, and climbed to an intraday peak of 4,652.54, surpassing the previous all-time high

Jan. 12, 2026

Seoul shares open higher on chip, defense shares

South Korean stocks opened higher Monday, driven by gains in semiconductor and defense shares. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 29.81 points, or 0.65 percent, to 4,616.13 in the first 15 minutes of trading. On Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.48 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite added 0.81 percent. In Seoul, chip and defense shares led the upbeat start. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics added 0.36 percent, and its chipmaking rival SK hynix advanc

Jan. 12, 2026

Foreigners scoop up W2tr on Kospi in 2026

Foreign investors have been betting big on South Korea's benchmark Kospi this year, scooping up roughly 2 trillion won ($1.5 billion) worth of shares so far. Offshore investors net bought shares worth 1.74 trillion won on the Kospi from Jan. 2 to Friday, according to data from the Korea Exchange, the country's bourse operator. During the period, retail investors and institutional investors offloaded 249 billion won and 2.16 trillion won on the bourse, respectively. Foreign investors had earlier

Jan. 11, 2026

Seoul shares hit another record high, just shy of 4,600

Seoul shares extended their rally to a sixth session Friday, setting a fresh record high backed by a rise in auto, defense and shipbuilding stocks. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 33.95 points, or 0.75 percent, to finish at 4,586.32, inching toward 4,600. The index has risen 6.4 percent this week. Trade volume was heavy at 388.37 million shares worth 23.04 trillion won ($15.8 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 537 to 340. In

Jan. 9, 2026

Seoul shares open lower on tech losses after record high

Seoul shares opened lower Friday as investors took profits after the benchmark index set a record high the previous session. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 24.7 points, or 0.54 percent, to 4,527.67 in the first 15 minutes of trading. A day earlier, the index rose 1.31 percent to close at an all-time high of 4,552.37 after hitting an intraday high of 4,610.93. Overnight, US stocks ended mixed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.55 percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite fe

Jan. 9, 2026

Seoul shares again set record on shipyard, defense gains despite profit-taking

Seoul shares extended their rally to the fifth straight session Thursday to set a fresh record high, despite profit-taking following recent sharp gains in technology, defense and shipbuilding stocks. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 1.31 points, or 0.03 percent, to finish at 4,552.37. Trade volume was moderate at 429.55 million shares worth 26.76 trillion won ($18.4 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 728 to 175. Retail invest

Jan. 8, 2026

Seoul shares open higher on defense, shipbuilding gains despite US losses

Seoul shares opened higher Thursday, backed by gains in defense and shipbuilding stocks, to extend a record-setting rally despite overnight losses on Wall Street. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 5.27 points, or 0.12 percent, to 4,556.33 in the first 15 minutes of trading. On Wednesday, the Kospi climbed 0.57 percent to close at an all-time high of 4,551.06. The index briefly topped the 4,600-point mark, touching an intraday high of 4,611.72. Overnight, US stocks ended mixed. The Dow J

Jan. 8, 2026

Seoul shares set fresh record high on tech, auto rally, after brief touch of above 4,600

Seoul shares extended their rally to a fourth day to set a fresh record high on a tech and auto rally Wednesday after briefly landing above the 4,600-point level. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 25.58 points, or 0.57 percent, to close at an all-time high of 4,551.06. The index briefly topped the 4,600-point mark, touch an intraday high of 4,611.72. On Tuesday, the KOSPI broke through the 4,500-point threshold on tech gains to end 1.

Jan. 7, 2026