KOSPI Opens Firm, Aiming Again for the 8,000 Mark

Individual Investors Continue Buying Despite Foreign Sell-Off

The KOSPI, which experienced record volatility the previous day, started higher on May 14 and is now aiming for the 8,000 mark.

On this day, the KOSPI began regular trading at 7,873.91, up 0.38% from the previous day. Early in the session, it surged more than 1% to reach 7,924.31.

Individual investors continue to support the index with strong buying. In early trading, foreign investors and institutions recorded net sales of 1.4141 trillion won and 152.7 billion won, respectively. Meanwhile, individual investors posted net purchases amounting to 1.4919 trillion won.

Many sectors were strong. Several sectors rose by more than 2%, including medical and precision instruments (3.71%), IT services (2.50%), construction (2.41%), food, beverage & tobacco (2.23%), insurance (2.20%), and electrical & electronics (2.04%). In contrast, telecommunications (-2.97%), electricity & gas (-2.46%), and transportation & storage (-2.23%) showed weakness.

The top 10 stocks by market capitalization showed mixed performances. Samsung Electronics surged 3.7%, while SK hynix fell by 0.9%. SK hynix hit a new all-time high of 1,994,000 won early in the session but reversed course and failed to break the 2 million won threshold. Samsung C&T (3.1%), LG Energy Solution (1.6%), and Hyundai Motor (0.5%) also posted gains. In contrast, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries plunged by 5.8%. Doosan Enerbility (-1.5%), Samsung Electro-Mechanics (-1.2%), and SK Square (-0.8%) were also on the decline.

The KOSDAQ also started 0.86% higher at 1,187.02. It showed continued strength early in the session, climbing as much as 1.45% to 1,194.03 compared to the previous day.

Foreign investors maintained strong selling pressure, but individuals and institutions recorded net buying. Foreigners posted net sales of 99.4 billion won, while individuals and institutions logged net purchases of 89.1 billion won and 15.1 billion won, respectively.

Almost all sectors were on the rise. The biggest gains were seen in finance (3.98%), general services (2.01%), food, beverage & tobacco (0.89%), and construction (0.95%). However, textiles & apparel (-1.75%), transport equipment & parts (-1.51%), and machinery & equipment (-1.01%) declined.

Among the top 10 stocks by market capitalization on the KOSDAQ, the bio sector was particularly strong. Alteogen, the market cap leader, soared by 7.3%. LegoChem Biosciences (1.4%) and ABL Bio (1.2%) also showed gains. EcoPro (3.7%) and EcoPro BM (2.7%) were also on the rise. In contrast, HLB (-3.5%), Leeno Industrial (-2.7%), Jusung Engineering (-1.5%), and Samchundang Pharm (-1.2%) declined.

As the KOSPI index approached 8000 and entered a pause, an employee monitored the stock market and exchange rates in the dealing room at the Hana Bank headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 14th. On that day, the KOSPI closed at 7,873.91, up 29.90 points (0.38%) from the previous trading day, the KOSDAQ rose 0.09 points (0.86%) to 1,187.02, and the won/dollar exchange rate opened at 1,489.8 won, down 0.8 won from the previous day. May 14, 2026 Photo by Cho Yongjun

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