KOSPI breaks 7,822 then 7,844 records in May 2026 as Hyundai Motor, HD Hyundai, SK Innovation, and Mirae Asset all deliver earnings surprises. Tracks how robotics, AI chip expectations, and macro tailwinds combined to drive South Korea's equity surge.
South Korea's KOSPI closed at a record 7,822.24 on May 11, adding 324 points (+4.32%) as semiconductor stocks repriced after the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index surged 5.51% on May 8. SK Hynix cleared 190,000 KRW (+11%) and Samsung Electronics crossed 280,000 KRW (+6%), putting the 8,000 level within 2.2% reach.
South Korea's KOSPI closed at a record 7,844.01 (+2.63%) on May 13, led by Hyundai Motor (005380.KS) surging 9.91% to KRW 710,000 on robotics revaluation, with Hyundai Mobis up 18.43%. SK Hynix (000660.KS) gained 7.68% to KRW 1,976,000 as AI server investment expectations revived following Jensen Huang's reported China trip. Domestic investors net-bought KRW 3.57 trillion, absorbing KRW 4 trillion in foreign selling.
HD Hyundai, South Korea's shipbuilding-energy conglomerate, reported first-quarter 2026 operating profit of KRW 2.835 trillion, up 120.4% year-over-year. The result reflects broad-based recovery across shipbuilding, oil refining, and heavy industry driven by LNG carrier demand and elevated refining margins from the Iran energy cycle.
SK Innovation reported Q1 2026 consolidated operating profit of KRW 2.162 trillion, returning to profitability from losses in the prior comparable period, driven by recovery across its EV battery (SK On), lubricants, and chemicals businesses. The turnaround reflects easing battery pricing pressure and elevated energy margins during the Iran conflict cycle.
Mirae Asset Securities reported Q1 2026 net income of KRW 1.0019 trillion (+288% year-over-year) and operating income of KRW 1.3750 trillion (+297%), becoming the first Korean securities firm to surpass the KRW 1 trillion threshold on both metrics in a single quarter. An KRW 804 billion fair-value gain on SpaceX and other global holdings was the primary catalyst, while brokerage and wealth management both set all-time records. Total AUM grew KRW 176 trillion in under six months, reaching KRW 776 trillion.