KOSPI Hits the Dream 6,000-Point Mark... Just Over a Month After 5,000

KOSPI tops 6,000 points for the first time ever
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix duo lead the stock market rally

On Feb. 25, the KOSPI index surpassed the 6,000 level for the first time ever in early trading, with domestic market indices displayed at the Korea Exchange in Yeouido, Seoul. That day, Samsung Electronics, which broke past 200,000 won, and SK Hynix, which broke past 1,000,000 won, also opened trading higher. 2026.2.25 Kang Jinhyung, Reporter

The KOSPI has surpassed the 6,000-point mark for the first time in its history. Driven by a boom in memory semiconductors triggered by the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution and by the government's aggressive measures to revitalize the capital market, the index broke through 6,000 just one month after crossing 5,000.

KOSPI tops 6,000 points for the first time ever

On Feb. 25, the KOSPI opened at 6,022.70, up 0.89% from the previous trading day. After surpassing 3,000 in June last year, the KOSPI broke through 4,000 in November, and then set a new record by crossing the 5,000-point level for the first time on Jan. 27. It has now written a new chapter by reaching 6,000 points just 29 days later. It took only eight months for the index to double from 3,000 to 6,000.

The rebound of all three major indices on the New York stock market overnight also affected the KOSPI on this day. On Feb. 24 (Eastern Time), the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 49,174.50, up 0.76% from the previous session. The Nasdaq Composite rose 1.04% to finish at 22,863.68. News that Anthropic had entered into partnerships with major software companies played a major role in driving a rebound in the share prices of companies that had previously been caught up in heavy selling. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index also climbed by more than 1%.

The main drivers of this year's sharp rally in the KOSPI are memory semiconductor companies such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. On this day as well, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix led the KOSPI's gains. As of 9:27 a.m., Samsung Electronics was trading at 202,500 won, up 1.25% from the previous trading day. SK Hynix was also trading at 1,011,000 won, up 0.60%.

The previous day, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix each surpassed the 200,000-won and 1,000,000-won levels for the first time. Samsung Electronics, the company with the largest market capitalization on the domestic stock market, saw its share price soar 126% last year, followed by a further 70% rise this year. SK Hynix, which ranks second in market capitalization, surged by as much as 275% last year and has jumped another 57% this year.

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix duo lead the stock market rally

Securities firms estimate that roughly half of this year's KOSPI gains have been driven by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. According to Heungkuk Securities, the projected increase in operating profit this year for companies included in the KOSPI 200 stands at 152.6 trillion won, of which 149.4 trillion won comes from Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, accounting for 97.9% of the total.

This year, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix contributed 32.5% and 17.0% of the KOSPI's gains, respectively, with their combined contribution reaching 49.4%. Lee Yeongwon, a researcher at Heungkuk Securities, explained the background of the recent stock market rally by saying, "The steep rise in semiconductor prices is the main factor sharply raising profit forecasts for Korean semiconductor companies."

Government and ruling-party measures to revitalize the capital market, such as amendments to the Commercial Act, are another pillar supporting the KOSPI's rise. The Lee Jaemyung administration is driving structural improvements in the domestic stock market by implementing a range of capital market policies, including amendments to the Commercial Act that mandate the retirement of treasury shares, the separate taxation of dividend income, and the eradication of unfair trading. Hwang Sewoon, a senior research fellow at the Korea Capital Market Institute, predicted, "The KOSPI's valuation is still undervalued compared with advanced markets, and a third round of Commercial Act amendments is also being pursued, so there is still room for the KOSPI to rise further."