On the morning of January 21, the first official day of Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th President of the United States, the Korean stock market is on an upward trend. While most of the top KOSPI stocks by market capitalization are rising, secondary battery-related stocks such as LG Energy Solution and POSCO Holdings are showing weakness.
On the 21st, when the second term of the Donald Trump administration in the United States began, the Seoul Jung-gu Hana Bank dealing room status board displayed the won/dollar exchange rate and the KOSPI index. On that day, the KOSPI opened at 2,533.23, up 13.18 points (0.52%) from the previous session, the KOSDAQ rose 0.91 points (0.13%) to 728.57, and the won/dollar exchange rate started at 1,437.0 won, down 14.7 won. Photo by Jo Yongjun
As of 9:14 a.m. on this day, the KOSPI was trading at 2,547.74, up 27.69 points (1.10%) from the previous day. The index started the session at 2,533.23, up 13.18 points (0.52%), and has continued to rise. Currently, foreign investors have net purchased 17.1 billion won, and institutional investors have net purchased 111.1 billion won. Individual investors have sold a net 127.3 billion won.
Among the top stocks by market capitalization, SK Hynix (up 3.30%), Kia (up 2.57%), HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (up 2.46%), Hanwha Aerospace (up 2.38%), Hyundai Mobis (up 2.25%), HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (up 1.94%), and Hyundai Motor (up 1.44%) are all rising. In contrast, LG Energy Solution (down 2.16%), SK Innovation (down 1.85%), and POSCO Holdings (down 1.66%) are declining.
By sector, electric and gas (up 1.99%), transportation equipment and parts (up 1.96%), machinery and equipment (up 1.34%), food, beverage, and tobacco (up 1.11%), electrical and electronics (up 0.87%), and manufacturing (up 0.86%) are all gaining. On the other hand, metals (down 0.61%) and chemicals (down 0.21%) are declining.
On January 20 (local time), President Trump emphasized "America First" during his inauguration ceremony held at the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. He also signaled a series of executive orders focused on deporting undocumented immigrants, expanding oil and gas drilling, abolishing electric vehicle mandates, and imposing tariffs. However, contrary to concerns, President Trump did not mention the immediate imposition of new tariffs in his inaugural address.
On the same day, the won/dollar exchange rate plunged during overnight trading, falling into the 1,440 won range. The U.S. stock and bond markets were closed in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Kim Seokhwan, a researcher at Mirae Asset Securities, said, "The absence of tariffs on President Trump’s first day, combined with other factors, led to a further weakening of the dollar against major currencies in the foreign exchange market."
At the same time, the KOSDAQ index stood at 732.99, up 5.33 points (0.73%) from the previous session. The index started the day at 728.57, up 0.91 points (0.13%). Individual and institutional investors each bought 13 billion won and 8.9 billion won, respectively, while foreign investors sold a net 9.2 billion won.
Among the top KOSDAQ stocks by market capitalization, Lunit (up 7.21%), Silicon Two (up 6.17%), Leeno Industrial (up 4.41%), Classys (up 1.90%), PharmaResearch (up 1.63%), Rigakem Bio (up 1.49%), and Hugel (up 1.22%) are rising. In contrast, Enchem (down 4.91%), Ecopro BM (down 4.78%), Ecopro (down 3.09%), Sinsung Deltatech (down 1.69%), and Kolon TissueGene (down 1.40%) are falling.
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