South Korean Markets Hit New Peaks With Semiconductor-Led Gains

South Korea’s benchmark equity market has continued its impressive 2026 rally, with the KOSPI index climbing to fresh record highs, extending gains driven by strong performance in key sectors such as semiconductor and tech stocks.

Record surge: The KOSPI — South Korea’s main stock index — hit a new all-time high, rising sharply following bargain hunting and strong institutional demand. This follows a rebound from a recent dip, with the index surging more than 6% in a single session, helping it close at a record level.

Strong weekly performance: Earlier in the year the KOSPI also touched the 5,000 level for the first time in history, reflecting broad market optimism and sustained buying, particularly in heavyweight tech and chip stocks.

Tech leadership: Shares of industry bellwethers such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix played a major role in lifting the market. Both names have seen notable rebounds and strong profit momentum, underpinned by robust demand for memory chips and artificial intelligence-related technologies.

Market breadth: Beyond technology, the broader domestic market also benefited from institutional and foreign investor inflows, contributing to total market capitalization surpassing historic thresholds and solidifying South Korea’s position among the best-performing major global markets this year.

Overall, South Korean equities have shown sustained strength and resilience, securing new record levels as the global appetite for Asia tech and chip exposure remains strong.