Samsung shares soar 14% as m-cap tops $1 trn; drives South Korea’s Kospi to record high

South Korea’s equity markets witnessed a historic surge on Wednesday as a powerful rally in semiconductor stocks propelled the benchmark KOSPI index past the 7,000 mark for the first time, according to Reuters.

The rally was led by heavyweight chipmakers, with Samsung Electronics soaring over 14% and SK Hynix over 10%, to reach lifetime highs.

Samsung Electronics’ strong performance lifted its market capitalisation beyond the $1 trillion milestone, making it only the second Asian company to achieve this landmark after Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, Reuters reported.


The KOSPI index jumped sharply in early trade, rising as much as 5.8% to hit a record high of 7,338.61, buoyed by robust global demand for artificial intelligence hardware.

The surge followed strong momentum in global semiconductor stocks, particularly in the United States, where the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index gained 4.2% overnight. The sharp opening spike in South Korean markets briefly triggered a “sidecar” trading curb, a mechanism designed to temper excessive volatility.

This latest rally builds on recent strength in the KOSPI, which had already advanced 5.1% earlier in the week amid encouraging domestic data pointing to resilient manufacturing activity and strong export demand led by semiconductors. The index has delivered exceptional returns over the past two years, rising 74% so far this year after a 76% surge in 2025—its strongest annual performance in more than two decades—supported in part by government-led market reforms.

Global cues also played a supportive role. Gains in semiconductor shares were reinforced by a sharp rise in Advanced Micro Devices’ stock in extended U.S. trading after the company issued an upbeat revenue forecast, driven by accelerating demand for data-center chips as cloud companies ramp up AI investments, Reuters noted.

Currency markets reflected the positive sentiment, with the South Korean won strengthening 1.2% against the U.S. dollar to its highest level in nearly three weeks.

Investor confidence was further lifted by easing geopolitical concerns after comments from U.S. President Donald Trump signaled progress toward a potential agreement with Iran, helping cool oil prices and improving broader risk appetite across Asian markets, Reuters reported.

Beyond technology stocks, financial shares also gained traction, with securities firms and broader financial groups advancing on expectations that buoyant equity markets would support earnings growth. However, despite the headline gains, market breadth remained uneven, with a larger number of declining stocks compared to gainers during the session.

The rally underscores the central role of semiconductors in driving South Korea’s market performance, as the global race to build AI infrastructure continues to fuel demand across the chipmaking ecosystem.