South Korea's benchmark stock index, the KOSPI (Korea Composite Stock Price Index), surged more than 2 percent on Wednesday to close at 6,091.39 — its first finish above the 6,000-point threshold since the outbreak of the US-Iran conflict in late February. The rally was driven by renewed hopes of diplomatic progress after US President Donald Trump signalled that Iran is willing to negotiate, easing investor anxiety despite an ongoing American naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Tech and automotive stocks led the gains, with chip giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix and automaker Hyundai Motor all posting strong advances, while the South Korean won also strengthened against the US dollar.
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Tuesday, 21 April 2026
South Korea's KOSPI closes above 6,000 for first time since US-Iran conflict erupted[Updated]
Wednesday, 15 April 2026, 08:10 · 1 min read
Updates
4d
The KOSPI snapped its three-session winning streak on Friday, falling 34.13 points, or 0.55 percent, to close at 6,191.92, as investors locked in profits while awaiting developments on a possible second round of US-Iran peace talks. Foreigners were net sellers of 2 trillion won worth of shares, though institutions and individuals partially offset that with net purchases of 150.3 billion won and 1.4 trillion won, respectively. Sentiment was tempered despite Trump expressing optimism about fresh negotiations over the weekend and Israel and Lebanon announcing a 10-day ceasefire.
5d
The KOSPI extended its gains for a third consecutive session on Thursday, surging another 2.21 percent to close at 6,226.05 — its highest finish since February 27, just one day before the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran. The index's all-time closing high of 6,307.27 was set on February 26. Institutions were net buyers of 1.1 trillion won worth of shares while foreigners added a net 464.4 billion won, as Trump declared the US-Israeli campaign against Iran was "very close to over" and the White House said further peace talks in Islamabad were "very likely," with a Pakistani delegation already in Tehran to help broker the next round of negotiations.
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