Kai Research

This week (June 1–5) the Korean stock market swung violently from euphoria to fear in just five trading sessions. Early in the week the KOSPI set a fresh all-time high and probed the 8,900 level, only to collapse to the 8,100 zone by Friday as foreign investors dumped roughly 7 trillion won worth of stocks in a brutal 'Black Friday' selloff. Here is the full week, organized around the data. 📊 This Week at a Glance Index Weekly Open Weekly Close Weekly High Weekly Low Weekly Change Weekly Volume KOSPI 8,485.67 8,160.59 8,933.62 8,038.10 -3.83% 215,299.8만 KOSDAQ 1,072.77 1,002.44 1,082.75 992.80 -6.56% 294,929.3만 The KOSPI ended the week down -3.83% and the KOSDAQ down -6.56% , closing in tandem to the downside. Notably, the KOSPI's swing between its weekly high (8,933.62) and low (8,038.10) reached roughly 11%, a true roller-coaster week, while the KOSDAQ briefly broke below the psychologically important 1,000 line at its weekly low of 992.80. The USD/KRW exchange rate...

📊 This Week at a Glance The Korean equity market saw an extreme "K-shaped divergence" this week (May 25–May 29), with the KOSPI and KOSDAQ moving in completely opposite directions. The KOSPI surged to a fresh all-time high on optimism over US–Iran ceasefire negotiations and the National Pension Service's decision to raise its domestic equity allocation, led by large-cap semiconductors. Meanwhile, the KOSDAQ slid for three straight sessions as liquidity rotated into large caps. Index Weekly Open Weekly High Weekly Low Weekly Close Weekly Change Weekly Volume KOSPI 8,070.91 8,476.15 7,841.01 8,476.15 +5.02% 254,307.9만 KOSDAQ 1,189.28 1,205.12 1,058.13 1,074.80 -9.63% 424,892.4만 The KOSPI rallied +5.02% over the week to settle at a record closing high of 8,476.15. In sharp contrast, the KOSDAQ tumbled -9.63% to the 1,074 level, leaving the two benchmarks pointing in starkly opposite directions. 📅 Daily Performance Here is the day-by-day breakdown of KOSPI and KOSDAQ clos...

📊 This Week at a Glance The Korean stock market staged a dramatic V-shaped recovery this week. After a massive foreign selloff dragged the KOSPI down to the 7,200 level mid-week, a powerful late-week rebound lifted the index to close +5.43% for the week. The KOSDAQ also reversed three straight days of losses, surging over the final two sessions to post a +3.43% weekly gain. It was a week of extreme volatility. Index Week Open Week Close Week High Week Low Week Volume Weekly Change KOSPI 7,443.29 7,847.71 7,886.64 7,053.84 264,923.5만 +5.43% KOSDAQ 1,122.57 1,161.13 1,165.80 1,038.23 524,020.8만 +3.43% The USD/KRW exchange rate climbed to 1,520.53, extending won weakness, while US equities maintained a modest upward bias into the weekend. 📅 Daily Performance The week followed a textbook V-shaped pattern: a soft start, a mid-week plunge, and a late-week surge. The pivotal moment came on Thursday, May 21, when the KOSPI exploded +8.42% in a single session to instantly reclaim the 7,800...

📊 This Week at a Glance The Korean stock market posted a sharp weekly decline after touching all-time highs mid-week. The KOSPI briefly broke above the 8,046 level, but a heavy wave of profit-taking on Friday (May 15) dragged the index down -6.12% in a single session, closing the week at 7,493.18 for a weekly loss of -3.63% . The KOSDAQ underperformed even more sharply, recording a weekly drop of -6.85% to close at 1,129.82 . Index Week Open Week High Week Low Week Close Volume (만 shares) Weekly Change KOSPI 7,775.31 8,046.78 7,371.68 7,493.18 422,672.2만 -3.63% KOSDAQ 1,212.88 1,225.29 1,110.16 1,129.82 605,518.4만 -6.85% 📅 Daily Performance The week opened strongly with KOSPI gaining +4.32% on Monday, followed by a Tuesday pullback and a fresh rally on Wednesday and Thursday that pushed the index above 8,000. However, Friday brought a violent reversal, with the KOSPI and KOSDAQ both plunging on the back of US CPI-related concerns and a sharp depreciation of the Korean won. Date ...

📊 This Week at a Glance The first week of May 2026 (May 4 – May 8) on the Korean stock market closed with a sharply polarized tape: the KOSPI surged +10.54% while the KOSDAQ slipped -0.38% . The KOSPI rewrote its all-time high with an intraday record of 7,531.88 and finished at 7,498.00, just shy of the 7,500 line, while the KOSDAQ retreated from 1,212 to 1,207 amid heavy concentration into large-cap names. Note that May 5 (Children's Day) was a market holiday in Korea. Index Weekly Open Weekly High Weekly Low Weekly Close Weekly Volume Weekly Change KOSPI 6,782.93 7,531.88 6,741.63 7,498.00 315,925.3만 +10.54% KOSDAQ 1,212.28 1,222.65 1,194.56 1,207.72 526,304.2만 -0.38% The weekly USD/KRW close stood at 1,461.48 , with the pair touching the high-1,470s during the week as the won extended its weakness. US markets remained constructive: S&P 500 +0.84% , Nasdaq +1.71% , and Dow +0.02% — providing a supportive global backdrop for Korea's tech and semiconductor names. 📅 Dail...

📊 This Week at a Glance The Korean stock market posted one of the strongest weekly rallies of the year from April 13 to 17, 2026, as optimism surrounding the two-week ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran continued to fuel risk-on sentiment. Both benchmarks closed sharply higher, with the KOSPI gaining +7.92% and the KOSDAQ surging +8.65% , driven by aggressive buying from foreign and institutional investors. Index Weekly Open Weekly Close Weekly High Weekly Low Weekly Volume Weekly Change KOSPI 5,737.28 6,191.92 6,231.03 5,730.23 451,198.3만 +7.92% KOSDAQ 1,076.85 1,170.04 1,170.63 1,074.84 798,510.1만 +8.65% The KOSPI briefly hit an all-time high of 6,231.03 intraday, while the KOSDAQ recovered the 1,170 level for the first time in months. The USD/KRW exchange rate eased slightly to 1,465.68 , down from the 1,470 region a week earlier, creating a favorable backdrop for continued foreign inflows. 📅 Daily Performance After a brief Monday consolidation, the market strung togethe...