KOSPI Breaks 6,000...Foreign Media Call It "One of the Highest-Returning Markets This Year"

The KOSPI is continuing its record-breaking rally, having not only surpassed the 6,000 mark for the first time in history but also broken through the 6,100 level. Foreign media have assessed that the KOSPI has risen more than 40 percent this year, delivering one of the highest returns in the world.

Employees are working in Woori Bank's dealing room in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 25th as the KOSPI index surpassed the 6,000 mark intraday for the first time in history. 2026.02.25 Photo by Yun Dongju

As of 11:37 a.m. on the 25th, the KOSPI was trading at 6,101.62, up 131.98 points (2.21 percent) from the previous trading day. The index opened at 6,022.70, up 0.89 percent from the previous session, thereby breaking through the 6,000 mark at the open. It then extended its gains and went on to surpass the 6,100 level.

This year, the KOSPI started in the 4,200 range at the beginning of the year and broke through the 5,000 level at the end of last month. In particular, it has surged more than 1,000 points in just over a month, pushing past the 6,000 mark. Its gain for the year is now above 44 percent.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) evaluated that the index has risen more than 40 percent this year, establishing itself as one of the markets with the highest returns in the world. Reuters also analyzed that rising global memory demand and expectations related to AI have driven semiconductor stocks higher, which in turn has led the index upward.

Bloomberg assessed that the long-undervalued Korean stock market has emerged as a clear winner in global markets. It analyzed as positive the fact that the software weighting is low and that hardware manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have been leading the market’s advance.

At the same time, there are forecasts that further upside is possible. Homin Lee, Senior Macro Strategist at Lombard Odier, told Bloomberg, "Korea continues to benefit from several structural tailwinds, and there is significant room for the positive effects of the memory supercycle to spread into the broader technology ecosystem," adding, "Volatility may increase somewhat after the index has passed the 6,000 mark, but we still see considerable upside potential over the next 12 months."

The decision by the U.S. Supreme Court last week to invalidate President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariff measures is also being viewed as a positive factor for the stock market. Tiffany Hsiao, Portfolio Manager at Matthews Asia, projected, "Korean exporters linked to U.S. consumer demand, particularly in electronics and components, are likely to benefit if tariff-related uncertainty eases."

There are also early signs that individual investors, who had long preferred U.S. equities, are returning to the domestic market. Bloomberg analyzed that if this trend continues, it could drive the next phase of the rally.

Meanwhile, global investment bank Nomura Securities has set its KOSPI target for the first half of this year as high as the 8,000 level. In its "Korea Strategy" report released on the 23rd, Nomura raised its first-half target range to 7,500-8,000, reflecting profit expansion in the semiconductor sector. It also projected that the KOSPI could break above the 8,000 mark if the practical implementation of Commercial Act amendments and structural improvements in the KOSPI and KOSDAQ markets are achieved.