KOSPI
^KS11
Key Statistics
About KOSPI
By Liveworldmarket Editorial Team · Last reviewed 6 July 2026
KOSPI — South Korea's Benchmark
The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) is the headline benchmark for the Korea Exchange (KRX) main board, encompassing all listed common stocks — approximately 800 constituents in 2026. The index is float-adjusted and cap-weighted, with the top 10 names contributing roughly 30% of total weight. Samsung Electronics alone accounts for ~20% of KOSPI weight, making the index extraordinarily concentrated in a single company; SK Hynix, Hyundai Motor, LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI, Naver and Kakao round out the major weights.
Sectorally the KOSPI is the world's most concentrated technology-hardware index by weight: memory semiconductors (Samsung, SK Hynix) plus automotive (Hyundai, Kia) plus batteries (LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI) plus telecom/internet (Naver, Kakao, SK Telecom) account for over 50% of index weight. This makes the KOSPI the cleanest single-number proxy for the global tech and EV supply chain. Any AI/memory-chip cycle or EV-demand shift moves the KOSPI before it shows up in broader indices.
History & contract origins
The KOSPI was launched on 4 January 1980 with a base value of 100 (back-calculated from earlier KRX records). South Korea's modern equity market was tiny by global standards until liberalisation reforms accelerated in the 1990s, particularly the opening to foreign investors in stages through 1992-98. The KOSPI peaked at 2,051 in October 2007 just before the GFC, crashed to 938 in October 2008 (-54%), then traded in a wide 1,800-2,200 range through 2010-2017. A reform-driven rally took the KOSPI to an all-time high of 3,316 in June 2021. Since then the index has corrected on the global tech derating and persistent Won weakness.
Major drawdowns: 1997 Asian financial crisis (-58%), 2000 dot-com (-67%), 2008 GFC (-54%), 2020 COVID (-29%), 2022 (-32%). The KOSPI is structurally more volatile than developed-market peers and has historically been one of the largest beneficiaries of any global tech up-cycle.
Trading hours & session layout
Korea Exchange runs a continuous session with no lunch break. In IST:
| Pre-open auction | 05:30 IST |
| Cash open | 05:30 IST (full session) |
| Cash close | 11:30 IST |
| Closing auction | 11:20 - 11:30 IST |
Holiday calendar (typical annual closures)
Listed below are the major scheduled closures for the underlying exchange. Exact dates shift year-to-year — always verify against the exchange's official calendar before holding overnight positions across a holiday boundary.
| Holiday | Typical date |
|---|---|
| New Year's Day | 1 January |
| Seollal (Lunar New Year, 3 days) | Variable — late January or February |
| Independence Movement Day | 1 March |
| Children's Day | 5 May |
| Buddha's Birthday | Variable in May |
| Memorial Day | 6 June |
| Liberation Day | 15 August |
| Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving, 3 days) | Variable in September-October |
| National Foundation Day | 3 October |
| Hangul Day | 9 October |
| Christmas Day | 25 December |
How to read this tape
Three lenses for KOSPI. First, the global memory-semiconductor cycle: when DRAM and NAND spot prices rise, Samsung and SK Hynix margins expand, lifting the KOSPI. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) leads KOSPI by 1-3 weeks on average. Second, the Won (KRW/USD) exchange rate: KOSPI heavyweights are large exporters, so a weak Won boosts earnings and lifts the index. Third, the 'Korea discount' — a persistent valuation gap versus global peers driven by chaebol governance concerns. Any meaningful corporate-governance reform announcement (such as the 'Corporate Value-Up Programme' announced in early 2024) tends to drive sharp KOSPI rallies.
Foreign-investor ownership of KOSPI is high (typically 30-35% of free float). Daily foreign net-buy / net-sell data is reported by the KRX and is a real-time risk-appetite indicator for the broader emerging-Asia region.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Samsung Electronics 20% of KOSPI?
Because Samsung Electronics is by far the largest South Korean company by market capitalisation (~$400B in 2026), and KOSPI is a free-float cap-weighted index. The exceptionally high single-stock concentration is a known risk and is often cited as a reason institutional investors prefer the broader KOSPI 200 or MSCI Korea benchmarks.
How does KOSPI compare to KOSPI 200?
KOSPI = all main-board listings (~800 stocks). KOSPI 200 = the top 200 by market cap. KOSPI 200 is the index that has liquid futures (KOSPI 200 Futures on Eurex and KRX) and is the institutional benchmark. Both indices move very similarly (correlation > 0.98).
What's the KOSPI's relationship with Indian IT services?
Modest. Korean tech is hardware-focused (memory chips, displays, EVs) while Indian IT is software services. They share US tech-customer end-market exposure, so KOSPI tends to lead NIFTY IT by a few weeks during AI-cycle inflection points.
Can Indian residents invest in KOSPI?
Yes, via the LRS route through international brokers. Tracking ETFs include EWY (US-listed iShares MSCI South Korea) and 069500.KS (KODEX 200 ETF on KRX). India-listed KOSPI ETFs are rare.
Why is the Korea Exchange session short?
Historical convention — South Korea adopted a single continuous 6-hour session (no lunch break) in 2000 to align with global practice while keeping reasonable working hours. Earlier sessions were even shorter.
Related markets
Editorial article. Information only — not investment advice. Read our Risk Disclaimer before acting on any market data shown here.