Overview
- South Korea’s benchmark fell 0.39% to 4,885.75 on Jan. 20, ending a 12-day advance after touching a fresh intraday high of 4,935.48.
- The prior session set a record close at 4,904.66, driven by autos and chips, with Hyundai Motor up 16.22% and Kia up 12.18%.
- Gains remain narrowly focused, with the KRX large-cap index up 18.27% since Dec. 30 while mid- and small-caps lag, and Samsung Electronics and SK hynix accounting for about 64.3% of the recent market-cap increase.
- Foreign investors led buying in the latest record-setting session as retail investors were net sellers of Kospi shares.
- KRX CEO Jeong Eun Bo said a move toward 6,000 is possible and pledged tougher de-listings of underperforming ‘zombie’ firms to bolster market trust.