South Korea's stock market cap jumps 76 percent in 2025

SEOUL, January 14 (AJP) - South Korea’s stock market capitalization surged nearly 80 percent over the past year, propelled by sharp gains in Samsung Electronics and SK hynix.

Total market capitalization rose by 1,718 trillion won ($1.3 trillion) to 3,972 trillion won at the start of this year, from 2,254 trillion won a year earlier, according to an analysis released Wednesday by the Korea CXO Institute.

The rally also broadened the ranks of large-cap stocks. The number of listed companies with market capitalizations exceeding 1 trillion won climbed by 88 over the year to 318, up from 236 in the first quarter of last year.

Samsung Electronics recorded the largest increase in market value, adding more than 440 trillion won to reach about 760 trillion won at the start of this year, compared with 318 trillion won a year earlier.

SK hynix followed closely, with its market capitalization rising by more than 360 trillion won to 492 trillion won from 124 trillion won. Together, the two semiconductor giants accounted for a substantial share of the broader market’s gains.

Several other companies also posted sizable increases. SK Square added about 41 trillion won in market value, while Doosan Enerbility rose by roughly 37 trillion won. Hanwha Aerospace, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean each recorded gains exceeding 20 trillion won over the period.

Oh Il-seon, head of the Korea CXO Institute, said the market’s resilience in the face of lingering global uncertainties reflected investors’ early pricing of expectations for artificial intelligence-driven growth and a cyclical rebound in semiconductors.