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Kospi opens higher amid hopes for Santa rally

Published: 26 Dec. 2025, 09:50

A screen in Hana Bank's trading room in central Seoul shows the Kospi opening on Dec. 26. [YONHAP]

Korean stocks opened higher Friday, tracking pre-Christmas gains on Wall Street boosted by confidence in the U.S. economy and hopes for a year-end Santa Claus rally.

The Kospi added 22.97 points, or 0.56 percent, to 4,131.59 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Major U.S. indexes ended higher Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average adding 0.6 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite rising 0.22 percent.

The U.S. Volatility Index, also known as the fear index, fell to 13.4 points, the lowest mark this year, while data also showed that applications for unemployment benefits fell last week, lifting investors' confidence in the world's largest economy.

In Seoul, tech giant Samsung Electronics kicked off 2.88 percent higher, while its chipmaking rival SK hynix increased 1.02 percent.

Major shipbuilders, HD Hyundai Heavy and Hanwha Ocean, also started in positive terrain, rising 0.39 percent and 1.43 percent, respectively.

AI investment firm SK Square soared 3.74 percent.

On the other hand, leading battery maker LG Energy Solution went down 0.51 percent, and power plant manufacturer Doosan Enerbility dropped 0.79 percent.

Auto and financial shares started in negative terrain.

Hyundai Motor edged down 0.09 percent, and its sister Kia fell 0.21 percent, while KB Financial was down 1.35 percent, and Shinhan Financial lost 1.41 percent.

The Korean won was trading at 1,453.2 won against the U.S. dollar, up 0.23 percent from the previous session's close of 1,449.8 won.

Yonhap