South Korea’s Kospi index climbed again, reaching a record high for the fifth straight session. Strong gains in chip stocks and heavy foreign buying fueled the momentum. Investors continued to show strong interest in technology and defense shares, while profit-taking limited gains in some sectors.
The Kospi index advanced 42.31 points, or 1.24 percent, closing at 3,449.62. This rally marked its 11th straight session of growth. Market activity stayed vibrant, with 398.4 million shares traded, worth 13.8 trillion won. Losers outnumbered winners, yet the index still gained ground.
Foreign investors bought more than 1.7 trillion won in local stocks. Institutions followed with 78.8 billion won in purchases. Meanwhile, retail investors took profits and sold 1.76 trillion won. Analysts credited the surge to foreign inflows and strong chip demand.
Blue-chip technology firms saw solid gains. Samsung Electronics rose 3.79 percent to 79,400 won. SK hynix soared 5.14 percent to reach 348,000 won. Analysts explained that investors expect U.S. rate cuts and supportive government policies for advanced industries.
Global markets added to the optimism. On Wall Street, the Dow gained slightly, while the Nasdaq advanced almost 1 percent. The S&P 500 also posted gains. Major tech companies pushed markets higher, with Tesla up 3.56 percent and Alphabet climbing 4.3 percent.
In Seoul, defense stocks gained significant traction. Hanwha Aerospace surged 5.58 percent to 1.04 million won. Hyundai Rotem advanced 3.72 percent, while LIG Nex1 soared 9.49 percent. Power sector shares also showed strength. Doosan Enerbility jumped 7.65 percent, and SK Square advanced 2.74 percent.
Shipbuilders extended the upbeat trend. HD Hyundai Heavy rose 0.9 percent, Hanwha Ocean climbed 1.19 percent, and HD Korea Shipbuilding gained 1.09 percent. These advances demonstrated consistent confidence across multiple industrial sectors.
However, not all firms joined the rally. LG Energy Solution dipped 1.69 percent to 349,500 won. Kakao, the country’s leading messenger operator, slid 1.72 percent to 62,900 won. Despite these losses, Kospi index gains led the market higher.
Meanwhile, the Korean won strengthened against the U.S. dollar. The currency traded at 1,378.9 won per dollar, up 10.1 won from the prior session. The firmer won reflected both capital inflows and investor confidence.
Overall, the Kospi index continued to attract optimism and foreign buying. Strong earnings expectations and global market support pushed the index to new highs. Despite profit-taking, South Korea’s market outlook remained upbeat.
