Details

💻 Chip Giants in Focus: Samsung Electronics rose 1.6%, while SK Hynix jumped 5.5%. TSMC also reported record sales in August, boosting sentiment across Asia.

🌍 Fresh Foreign Capital: Overseas investors bought more than 800 million USD worth of Korean stocks, showing strong international confidence in Korea’s tech story.

🏦 Reforms Add Tailwind: President Lee Jae Myung plans to review stock market taxes, raising hopes for his ambitious “Kospi 5000” program.

👷 Labor Market Stabilizes: Korea added 166,000 new jobs in August. Despite weaknesses in industry and construction, the overall trend remains positive.

🤖 AI as a Competitive Edge: OpenAI is opening an office in Seoul, working closely with Samsung, SK, and Kakao. Korea aims to position itself as a hub for artificial intelligence.

Big Picture

The Kospi’s rise highlights South Korea’s role as a key beneficiary of the global AI boom. Strong semiconductor stocks and sustained demand for tech shares are driving momentum, while reform initiatives and foreign inflows are pulling Korea further into the spotlight for global investors.

Sources: The Korea Herald Bloomberg
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