The domestic stock market has once again set a new milestone. On the 19th, the KOSPI continued its upward trend during trading and surpassed the 4,900 mark for the first time in history, closing at 4,904.66, bringing the era of “5,000 points” within reach.
That day, the KOSPI closed at 4,904.66, up 63.92 points (1.32%) from the previous trading day. Although it began the session weakly due to uncertainties over former U.S. President Donald Trump’s chances of a second term and global semiconductor supply chain issues, a large-scale switch to net buying by foreign investors triggered the index’s rebound.
Foreign investors net purchased stocks worth 551.3 billion won that day, driving the market’s upward momentum. By contrast, individual and institutional investors sold off 23.8 billion won and 751.1 billion won respectively. The “Buy Korea” flow by foreign investors stood out even amid institutional selling pressure.
Hyundai Motor’s advance was particularly striking in the market. Hyundai Motor’s stock price closed at 480,000 won, up 16.22% from the previous day, and its market capitalization reached about 98 trillion won, poised to break the 100 trillion won mark. As a result, Hyundai Motor jumped ahead of LG Energy Solution and Samsung Biologics to rank third in KOSPI market capitalization, shaking up the “Big Four” lineup of Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, LG Energy Solution, and Samsung Biologics that had been firmly established in recent years.
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix also rose by 0.27% and 1.06%, respectively, reflecting a favorable trend across the semiconductor sector.
Since the start of the new year, the KOSPI has posted gains every trading day. It surpassed 4,700 in just three trading days without a single down day, broke through 4,800 the next day, and then easily cleared 4,900. Year-to-date gains have topped 16%, showcasing an unprecedented bull market.
Market experts analyzed, “The breakthrough of the psychological resistance at 4,900 has been realized as foreign capital inflows and strong buying centered on large-cap stocks converged,” adding, “Achieving the ‘5,000-point’ milestone may be just a matter of time, depending on global monetary policy trends and the recovery of semiconductor demand.”