KOSPI rises, foreigners net sellers
Korean won weakens against dollar
South Korea benchmark bond yield falls
SEOUL, – Round-up of South Korean financial markets:
** South Korean shares rose to a record high on Friday, kicking off 2026 trading on a strong note as investors remained bullish on the economy following upbeat trade data. The won weakened, while the benchmark bond yield fell. ** The benchmark KOSPI was up 23.18 points, or 0.55%, at 4,237.35, as of 01:33 GMT. The benchmark posted its biggest yearly gain in more than two decades in 2025, driven by a chipmaker rally on the global artificial intelligence boom and the new government’s market reforms. ** Among index heavyweights, chipmaker Samsung Electronics rose 3%, while peer SK Hynix gained 0.77%. Battery maker LG Energy Solution slid 1.63%. ** Hyundai Motor was unchanged, while sister automaker Kia Corp slipped 1.48%. Drugmaker Samsung BioLogics fell 0.65%. ** Of the total 924 traded issues, 409 shares advanced, while 469 declined. ** South Korea’s central bank chief said on Friday the recent dollar-won levels in a high-1,400 range seemed far from the Korean economy’s fundamentals and were in part due to local investment in overseas equities. ** South Korea’s exports rose in December for the seventh consecutive month and wrapped up 2025 at a record as exports surpassed $700 billion for the first time, government data showed on Thursday. ** Foreigners were net sellers of shares worth 152.1 billion won. ** The won was quoted at 1,440.3 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform, 0.06% lower than its previous close at 1,439.5. ** In offshore trading, the won was quoted at 1,440.1 per dollar, up 0.2% on the day, while in non-deliverable forward trading its one-month contract was quoted at 1,438.3. ** The most-liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield fell by 2.4 basis points to 2.927%, while the benchmark 10-year yield fell by 1.6 basis points to 3.369%.
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