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Kospi surges on hopes of end to Iran war

Published: 25 Mar. 2026, 09:40

A screen in Hana Bank's trading room in central Seoul shows the Kospi opening on March 25. [YONHAP]

Shares opened sharply higher Wednesday, as optimism grew over Washington's moves to end the monthlong war in Iran.

The benchmark Kospi rose 170.22 points, or 3.06 percent, to 5,724.14 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Overnight, major stock indexes on Wall Street closed slightly lower, on mixed signals related to negotiations between the United States and Iran.

U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that his administration is "talking to the right people" in Iran and "they want to make a deal so badly."

He also signaled that Tehran has offered a "present," suggesting the gift was related to the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil waterway, the effective closure of which has pushed up energy prices to record levels.

In Seoul, most large-cap shares gathered ground.

Chip giant Samsung Electronics rose 3.27 percent, while its rival SK hynix advanced 4.26 percent.

Shares of SK hynix were boosted after the company said in its regulatory filing that it has begun taking steps to have its American Depository receipts listed on the U.S. stock market.

Top carmaker Hyundai Motor added 4.27 percent, defense giant Hanwha Aerospace moved up 1.5 percent, and portal giant Naver edged up 1.87 percent.

The won weakened 3.3 won from the previous session to trade at 1,491.9 against the dollar as of 9:15 a.m.

Yonhap