Volatile KOSPI Closes Slightly Higher; KOSDAQ Gains More Than 1%

The KOSPI widened its losses amid foreign selling but closed slightly higher, buoyed by buying from individual and institutional investors.

The KOSPI and KOSDAQ indexes and the won-dollar exchange rate are displayed in the dealing room at Hana Bank's headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Nov. 4, as South Korea's stock market opened higher on bargain hunting after a recent sharp decline and gains in major U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) stocks. The KOSPI opened at 5,786.13, up 137.34 points (2.43%) from the previous trading day's close, while the KOSDAQ opened at 715.74, up 11.35 points (1.61%). 2026.11.4 Photo by Cho Yongjun

On Nov. 4, the KOSPI closed at 5,683.80, up 35.01 points (0.62%) from the previous session. After opening more than 2% higher, the index widened its gains to more than 3% in early trading. It then alternated between gains and losses before closing slightly lower. By investor group, individuals and institutions made net purchases of 1.1467 trillion won and 1.0135 trillion won, respectively, while foreign investors made net sales of 2.5045 trillion won.

Most sectors closed higher. All sectors rose except for five, including recreation and culture (-6.02%), medical precision equipment (-2.87%), and textiles and apparel (-0.24%). The biggest gains were in telecommunications (+4.39%), electricity and gas (+4.03%), and pharmaceuticals (+3.44%), in that order.

Among the 20 largest stocks by market capitalization, more closed higher than lower. Samsung SDI (+11.57%), Celltrion (+5.32%), and LG Energy Solution (+5.03%) rose, while Kia (-0.83%), Samsung Electronics (-0.68%), and Hanwha Aerospace (-0.68%) fell.

The KOSDAQ closed at 714.95, up 10.56 points (1.50%). After opening higher, the index pared its gains, turned lower, and then returned to an upward trend. By investor group, individuals and foreign investors made net sales of 52.1 billion won and 700 million won, respectively, while institutions made net purchases of 63.4 billion won.

More sectors rose than fell. Financials (+5.70%), electrical and electronics (+4.15%), and construction (+3.13%) gained, while publishing and media reproduction (-2.65%), recreation and culture (-1.87%), and pharmaceuticals (-1.42%) declined.

Among the 20 largest stocks by market capitalization, all but four closed higher, including HLB (-17.69%), Wonik Holdings (-6.96%), and Alteogen (-4.45%). EcoPro BM (+10.96%), EcoPro (+9.54%), and SIMMTECH (+9.53%) posted particularly strong gains.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.