KOSPI Sets Another Record Closing High, Opening the Era of 5,000

The Financial News reported that the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) broke through the 5,000 level during trading, ushering in what is being called the "dream era of 5,000 KOSPI." The index also surpassed the previous day’s record closing high.
On the 22nd, the KOSPI closed at 4,952.53, up 42.60 points (0.87%) from the previous trading day. This exceeded the prior record closing high of 4,909.93 set the day before.
The index opened the day at 4,987.06, up 77.13 points (1.57%), and extended its gains to climb above the 5,000 level for the first time in history. At one point during the session, it surged as high as 5,019.54. With this, the KOSPI, which began at 100 points on January 4, 1980, has reached the 5,000-point milestone roughly 46 years later.
A rally in the U.S. stock market, driven by U.S. President Donald John Trump’s decision to withdraw tariffs on Greenland, had a positive impact on the domestic market. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) rose 1.21% from the previous session, while the S&P 500 Index and the NASDAQ Composite Index (NASDAQ) gained 1.16% and 1.18%, respectively.
In the KOSPI Market, individual investors were net buyers of 155.6 billion won, helping to lift the index. In contrast, foreign investors and institutions showed net selling of 297.2 billion won and 102.8 billion won, respectively.
Among large-cap stocks by market capitalization, Samsung Electronics (up 1.87%), SK hynix (up 2.03%), LG Energy Solution (up 5.70%), and SK Square (up 3.84%) posted strong gains. Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor (down 3.64%), Samsung Biologics (down 5.07%), Hanwha Aerospace (down 1.98%), HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (down 2.85%), and Kia (down 4.36%) declined.
Lee Jae-won, a researcher at Shinhan Securities, noted, "Earnings forecasts for the semiconductor and robotics sectors, which drove the KOSPI past 5,000, are not rolling over and continue to be revised upward." He added, "Industrials such as shipbuilding and defense, which showed declines, have recently been among the top performers in terms of returns, so the moves appear to be profit-taking in nature."
Meanwhile, the Korea Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (KOSDAQ) also finished higher, closing at 970.35, up 19.06 points (2.00%) from the previous session. The KOSDAQ opened at 963.77, up 12.48 points (1.31%) from the prior day, and then extended its gains throughout the session.

jisseo@fnnews.com Reporter Seo Min-ji Reporter