South Korea’s benchmark stock market, the KOSPI, concluded Thursday’s trading session at a historic *new all-time high*, pushing past the 7,500-point threshold amidst robust investor optimism. This significant bullish momentum was fueled by mounting hopes for a potential Washington-Tehran peace agreement and a highly favorable outlook for leading *chipmakers*, propelled by the global *artificial intelligence boom*. Concurrently, the *South Korean won* strengthened against the *US dollar*.
Despite experiencing some initial choppy trading, the *Korea Composite Stock Price Index* (KOSPI) demonstrated impressive resilience, ultimately gaining 105.49 points, a 1.43 percent increase, to establish a *fresh record closing high* of 7,490.05.
Market activity was notably high, with a substantial *trade volume* of 755.4 million shares exchanging hands, valued at 49.8 trillion won (approximately $34.3 billion USD). Despite the overall market surge, decliners slightly outnumbered advancers, with 501 issues falling against 353 rising.
Domestic *institutional investors* and *individual investors* were significant net buyers, acquiring 1.1 trillion won and 6 trillion won worth of shares, respectively. This strong local buying activity largely mitigated the 7.2 trillion won in *net selling by foreign investors*.
This latest achievement marks the *third consecutive session* where the KOSPI has renewed its *record-high close*, successfully surpassing the 7,300-point benchmark earlier on Thursday.
The KOSPI initiated the day with a powerful start, reaching an *all-time intraday high* of 7,531.88 points shortly after the market opened.
Following a brief downturn where *investors engaged in profit-taking* during early trade, the *benchmark Kospi* staged a robust rebound, extending its gains well beyond the critical 7,500-point threshold in the afternoon.
*Investor sentiment* received a significant boost from promising geopolitical developments in the Middle East, specifically the exchange of new peace proposals between *Washington* and *Tehran* aimed at resolving their conflict.
Further enhancing optimism, *US President Donald Trump* commented that a potential *deal with Iran* might be finalized ahead of his scheduled visit to Beijing next week.
“The *Kospi* experienced increased volatility after breaching the 7,500-point level, largely due to *profit-taking* activities,” explained Kang Jin-hyuk, an analyst at *Shinhan Securities*. He added, “While *foreign investors* spearheaded the initial stages of the recent rally, they transitioned into net sellers today.”
Across the board, shares in key sectors such as *technology*, *automotive*, and *banking* recorded notable gains.
*Tech heavyweights* led the charge; *Samsung Electronics*, the market’s top-cap, saw its shares climb 2.07 percent to 271,500 won, while *chip giant SK Hynix* advanced an impressive 3.31 percent to 1.65 million won.
In the *automotive sector*, *Hyundai Motor*, the nation’s largest carmaker, surged 4 percent to close at 572,000 won. Its auto parts manufacturing affiliate, *Hyundai Mobis*, also posted strong growth, rising 2.08 percent to 441,500 won.
Prominent *financial institutions* also contributed to the upward trend; *banking giant KB Financial Group* saw its stock rise 1.45 percent to 161,200 won, and *Shinhan Financial Group* gained 1.64 percent, closing at 98,900 won.
Further positive performances were observed with major builder *Samsung C&T* ascending 7.86 percent to 405,000 won, and leading shipyard *HD Hyundai Heavy Industries* climbing 6.94 percent to 693,000 won.
Conversely, *defense companies* experienced significant downturns. *Industry leader Hanwha Aerospace* notably fell 8.09 percent to 1.3 million won, and *LIG D&A* tumbled dramatically by 11.54 percent to 866,000 won, likely impacted by the positive geopolitical developments.
The *entertainment sector* also faced pressure, with *CJ ENM* shares losing 3.21 percent to 51,300 won. Similarly, *cosmetics manufacturer APR* saw a decline of 4.86 percent, closing at 401,500 won.
