KOSPI Hits Record High as Asia Tracks Wall Street Gains

South Korea’s benchmark Kospi index surged to a record high on Thursday, rising 2.84 per cent as regional markets followed gains on Wall Street.

The rally came as several Asia-Pacific bourses resumed trading after the Lunar New Year holiday. Markets in Hong Kong and mainland China remained closed for the break.

Technology stocks led gains in Seoul. Shares of Samsung Electronics rose 4.14 per cent, while SK Hynix advanced 1.48 per cent. The small-cap Kosdaq index climbed 4.68 per cent.

Investment bank Goldman Sachs said in a recent note that Korea has emerged as one of the strongest-performing markets in the Asia-Pacific region after nearly doubling in 2025. The bank forecasts further growth in Korean equities in 2026 following a 36 per cent rise last year.

Regional Markets Advance

Elsewhere in the region, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.93 per cent. Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 0.72 per cent, while the broader Topix index rose 1.12 per cent.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng and mainland China’s Shanghai Composite remained shut for the Lunar New Year holiday.

Wall Street Support

The positive momentum in Asia followed gains in U.S. markets overnight. The S&P 500 rose 0.56 per cent to close at 6,881.31, supported by advances in major technology stocks.

The Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.78 per cent to finish at 22,753.63, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.26 per cent to settle at 49,662.66.

Investors also digested minutes from the Federal Reserve’s latest policy meeting, which indicated policymakers remain divided over the future path of interest rates.

Market participants will continue monitoring global economic data and corporate earnings for further direction in the days ahead.