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The KOSPI, South Korea’s main stock index, reached another all-time high.

As reported by the Korea Exchange on the 29th, the KOSPI started at 5,243.42, reflecting a 1.4% increase compared to the prior trading day. This was the first instance the index exceeded the 5,200 mark. It achieved this milestone just two trading days after crossing the 5,000 threshold and one day after going beyond the 5,100 level. However, by 9:40 a.m. that day, it had declined 0.31% from the previous trading day, reaching 5,157.74, and fell below the 5,200 level.

The leading semiconductor firms in South Korea, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, rose by 1.85% and 4.16% respectively during early market sessions, driven by anticipation of upcoming earnings reports, which helped push the index upward. However, by 9:50 a.m., Samsung Electronics had fallen 0.25% to 162,000 Korean won, whereas SK Hynix increased by 1.19% to 851,000 Korean won.

The day before, memory semiconductor stocks like Micron (+6.1%) and Seagate Technology (+19.14%) saw substantial gains on the New York Stock Exchange, contributing to early rises in the local market. Moreover, after SK Hynix reported the previous day that its fourth-quarter operating profit surpassed 19 trillion South Korean won, Samsung Electronics also revealed on the same day that it achieved an operating profit of 20 trillion South Korean won for the quarter, marking the highest figure ever recorded by a domestic company, which affected stock prices.

The KOSDAQ started 1.76% higher at 1,153.43, compared to the prior trading day, but then declined by 9:50 a.m. On that day, EcoPro BM increased over 8% during early trading, surpassing the leading position in KOSDAQ market capitalization. Nevertheless, it later lost some of its gains, ending with a 3.71% rise at 237,500 Korean won.

On that day, individual investors purchased a total of 258 billion South Korean won in the stock market. Conversely, they sold a net amount of 281.8 billion South Korean won in the KOSDAQ market.