The KOSPI closed up more than 3% on the strength of major semiconductor stocks like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. Foreign investors purchased over 2.8 trillion won in stocks, pushing the index above 6,600 at one point during the trading session, which triggered a buying sidecar. In contrast, the KOSDAQ fluctuated within a narrow range before finishing slightly higher.
According to the Korea Exchange, the KOSPI ended the day at 6,579.04, up 233.51 points (3.68%) from the previous trading day. The index opened at 6,438.50, up 92.97 points (1.47%), and expanded its gains, reaching as high as 6,668.43, a rise of over 5% at one point.
While individual investors sold a net 3.19 trillion won, foreign and institutional investors bought a net 2.83 trillion won and 527.7 billion won, respectively.
A buying sidecar was triggered at 11:57 a.m. when the KOSPI 200 futures price rose more than 5% compared to the previous trading day for over a minute, halting the effectiveness of program trading buy orders for five minutes. This marked the 47th sidecar event in the KOSPI market this year.
Most of the top market capitalization stocks saw gains. Samsung Electronics rose 6.68%, closing at 255,500 won, while SK Hynix increased by 5.54%, surpassing 1.5 million won. Other notable gainers included Samsung SDI (5.78%), LG Energy Solution (1.13%), Hyundai Motor (1.61%), Samsung Life Insurance (4.49%), and Hanwha Aerospace (5.28%). However, Samsung Biologics (-3.73%) and KB Financial (-0.36%) experienced declines.
Semiconductor giants were particularly influential in driving the index higher. Samsung Electronics closed up over 6%, while SK Hynix also saw a rise of more than 5%, attracting strong buying interest in related stocks like Samsung SDI and SK Square.
On the same day, the KOSDAQ closed at 858.91, up 1.07 points (0.12%) from the previous trading day. The index opened at 854.85, down 2.99 points (0.35%), fluctuating within a narrow range before finishing slightly higher. At one point, it rose to 860.76, surpassing the 860 mark.
Individual investors bought a net 314.9 billion won, while foreign and institutional investors sold a net 162.2 billion won and 147.7 billion won, respectively.
The top KOSDAQ stocks showed mixed results. EcoPro rose 1.11%, EcoPro BM increased by 4.19%, Rainbow Robotics gained 2.08%, Juseong Engineering surged 7.14%, and Wonik IPS climbed 6.49%. Conversely, Alteogen fell by 3.05%, HLB dropped 0.83%, and LinoTech declined by 0.14%.
Market analysts noted that the influx of foreign and institutional buying, particularly in semiconductor stocks, was a key driver of the KOSPI's rise. Lim Jeong-eun, a researcher at KB Securities, stated, "The KOSPI has risen for three consecutive trading days, led by semiconductor giants, with simultaneous net buying from foreign and institutional investors."
She added, "With the focus on large-cap stocks, LG Electronics showed strength amid expectations of a meeting between LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, while buying interest also flowed into the cosmetics sector, power equipment, and defense industries."
Meanwhile, in the Seoul foreign exchange market, the weekly closing exchange rate for the won against the dollar was recorded at 1,415.7 won, down 0.3 won from the previous trading day.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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