KOSPI Surpasses 9,000 Milestone as Samsung and SK Hynix Drive Record Highs

On June 18, South Korea's benchmark KOSPI index achieved a historic milestone, closing at an all-time high of 9,063.84, representing its first-ever finish above the 9,000 level. The 2.25% daily advance was primarily driven by semiconductor giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, both of which reached record valuations. SK Hynix's surge followed the shipment of its seventh-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM4E) samples to major AI clients. Despite the index's performance, market breadth remained negative, with 791 out of 917 stocks declining. Foreign investors contributed a net 1.3 trillion won ($851 million) in purchases. Following the session, Daishin Securities analyst Lee Kyungmin raised the 2026 KOSPI target to 11,500, citing robust forward earnings for chipmakers. Meanwhile, financial regulators issued warnings regarding increased retail leverage in single-stock products tied to the leading tech firms.