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Kosdaq tops 1,200 in first as Korean markets stay red hot

Published: 27 Feb. 2026, 15:19

A screen in Hana Bank's trading room in central Seoul shows the Kospi and Kosdaq opening on Feb. 27. [NEWS1]

The Kosdaq index surpassed the 1,200 mark for the first time ever during intraday trading on Friday, the same day the Kospi also continued its record-setting run.

As of 2:39 p.m., the Kosdaq was up 1.11 percent at 1,201.39. The index had opened at 1,175.4, down 12.75 points, or 1.07 percent, but turned positive around noon.

Institutions and foreign investors were net buyers of 374.1 billion won ($260.75 million) and 47.7 billion won, respectively, while retail investors were net sellers of 388 billion won.

On the Kosdaq, EcoPro was trading 1.14 percent higher at 186,000 won, while Sam Chun Dang Pharm surged more than 10 percent on news of a massive contract worth up to 5.3 trillion won.

At the same time, the Kospi was up 0.44 percent at 6,335.11. The benchmark index had opened 1.74 percent lower at 6,197.49 and at one point fell to 6,153.87, before quickly paring losses and rebounding. It climbed as high as 6,347.41 during the session, setting another all-time high.

The Kospi had jumped 3.67 percent the previous day, breaking past the 6,300 level just a day after topping 6,100, buoyed by strong earnings from Nvidia. However, following an overnight decline of 1.18 percent in the Nasdaq Composite and broader weakness in U.S. markets, Korean stocks opened lower before reversing course on strong buying by retail investors.

Foreign investors were net sellers of 5.3 trillion won, while institutions and individuals were net buyers of 562.3 billion won and 4.53 trillion won, respectively.

Among heavyweight chipmakers, Samsung Electronics rose 1.61 percent to 221,500 won, while SK hynix slipped 0.82 percent to 1.09 million won. Hyundai Motor surged 10.34 percent after news that Hyundai Motor Group plans to invest 9 trillion won in the Saemangeum area in North Jeolla.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]