Kospi record rally reached a historic milestone on Tuesday as South Korea’s benchmark index surged past the 4,500 mark during intraday trading. The move underscored growing investor confidence amid strong corporate earnings and sustained momentum in technology stocks.
According to the Korea Exchange, the Kospi stood at 4,501.88 points as of 2:30 p.m., gaining 44.36 points, or one percent, from the previous session. This marked the first time the index crossed the 4,500 threshold since its launch.
Earlier in the session, the index opened lower at 4,446.08 and briefly slid to around 4,395 amid early profit-taking. However, buying interest quickly returned, allowing the benchmark to reverse course and climb steadily throughout the day.
Retail investors led the advance, net purchasing approximately 739 billion won worth of shares. Institutional investors also contributed to the rally with net purchases totaling about 155 billion won, reinforcing upward pressure on the index.
In contrast, foreign investors acted as net sellers, unloading nearly 1 trillion won from the market. Analysts attributed the selling to profit realization following recent gains and ongoing currency-related considerations.
Technology stocks continued to anchor the rally. Samsung Electronics traded slightly higher, touching an intraday high of 138,700 won, while SK hynix gained more than three percent to reach 718,000 won during afternoon trading.
SK hynix had opened lower amid profit-taking but quickly reclaimed the 700,000 won level as buying interest strengthened. Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics also saw strong premarket activity before regular trading began.
The Kospi record rally follows an exceptional performance last year, when the index surged approximately 76 percent. So far this year, the benchmark has advanced rapidly, breaking 4,300 points on Friday, surpassing 4,400 on Monday, and crossing 4,500 on Tuesday.
In response, local brokerage firms have raised their outlooks for the index. Kiwoom Securities lifted its annual forecast range to between 3,900 and 5,200 points, citing strong earnings momentum.
Yuanta Securities also revised its 2026 projection upward, while other firms issued even more optimistic forecasts. NH Investment & Securities set an upper target of 5,500, and KB Securities projected potential levels as high as 7,500 by mid-2027.
Analysts emphasized that corporate earnings, rather than speculative flows, continue to support the rally’s durability. “The focus is now on how far the index can climb,” said Han Ji-young, an analyst at Kiwoom Securities.
She added that given the strength of earnings momentum, investors should leave room for further upside. Looking ahead, market participants will monitor corporate results, global monetary policy signals, and semiconductor demand trends for direction.
