KOSPI Closes Up Over 3% on Samsung, SK hynix Rally... Foreign and Institutional Net Buying
KOSPI Closes Up 3.68% at 6,579.04
Samsung Electronics Gains Over 6%, SK hynix Over 5%
KOSDAQ Slightly Higher as Bio Stocks Decline
The KOSPI index closed up more than 3% on strong gains in semiconductor stocks such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. This rally appears to have been supported by buying from foreign and institutional investors.
On August 12, 2026, the KOSPI index finished trading at 6,579.04, up 233.51 points (3.68%) from the previous trading day. Foreign investors and institutions were net buyers by KRW 3,425.122 billion and KRW 661.538 billion, respectively, while individual investors were net sellers by KRW 3,878.795 billion.
By sector, electrical and electronics (+5.92%) showed overwhelming strength. Manufacturing (+4.53%), machinery and equipment (+2.01%), construction (+1.94%), finance (+1.51%), securities (+1.51%), and insurance (+1.38%) also closed higher. In contrast, pharmaceuticals (-3.53%), food, beverage and tobacco (-2.07%), non-metallic minerals (-1.10%), and transportation and storage (-1.00%) ended the session lower.
Among major stocks by market capitalization, semiconductor names such as Samsung Electronics (+6.6%), SK hynix (+5.5%), and SK Square (+7.9%) posted strong gains. The defense sector, including Hanwha Aerospace (+5.2%), also rose on bargain hunting. In contrast, bio stocks such as Celltrion (-4.0%) and Samsung Biologics (-3.7%) declined.
Lee Kyungmin, an analyst at Daishin Securities, commented, "Large-cap stocks showed strength amid simultaneous net buying by foreigners and institutions," adding, "In particular, the semiconductor sector was buoyed by improved investor sentiment on the back of Big Tech earnings releases."
The KOSDAQ index closed at 858.91, up 1.07 points (0.12%) from the previous session. Unlike the KOSPI, individual investors were net buyers by KRW 376.605 billion, leading the index's rise. Foreign investors and institutions were net sellers by KRW 201.778 billion and KRW 168.060 billion, respectively.
By sector, non-metallic minerals (+7.93%), distribution (+2.99%), machinery and equipment (+2.13%), chemicals (+1.87%), and paper and wood (+1.59%) rose, while general services (-1.95%), pharmaceuticals (-1.88%), and food, beverage, and tobacco (-0.95%) closed lower.
Among top market-cap stocks on the KOSDAQ, leading bio stocks such as Alteogen (-3.0%), Samchundang Pharm (-2.8%), PharmaResearch (-2.1%), and Ligachem Bio (-1.5%) declined. EcoPro (+1.1%) and EcoPro BM (+4.1%), ranked 2nd and 3rd by market cap, closed higher. Semiconductor-related stocks such as Jusung Engineering (+7.1%) and Wonik IPS (+6.4%) also posted significant gains.
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Meanwhile, as of 3:30 p.m. on August 12, 2026, the weekly closing price of the won-dollar exchange rate in the Seoul foreign exchange market was KRW 1,415.7, down 0.3 won from the previous session.
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