[Breaking] KOSPI Triggers Buy-Sidecar... Early Session Recovers 7,500 Mark

KOSDAQ Also Holds Above the 1,100 Level

On May 21, the KOSPI index recovered the 7,500 mark. The KOSDAQ index, after starting higher, is hovering around the 1,100 level.

As of 9:26 a.m. on this day at the Korea Exchange, the KOSPI index was trading at 7,536.13, up 327.18 points (4.54%) from the previous session. The KOSPI opened at 7,486.37, and a buy-sidecar (a temporary suspension of program buy orders) was triggered amid the sharp rally.

Foreign investors had a net sell position of 1,124.397 billion won. Meanwhile, individual investors and institutions had net buy positions of 985.82 billion won and 118.211 billion won, respectively.

All industry sectors were also on the rise. Insurance (7.31%), transportation equipment and parts (6.78%), distribution (6.23%), electrical and electronics (5.74%), machinery and equipment (5.66%), and manufacturing (5.6%) were among the leading gainers.

On the 15th, when the KOSPI index surpassed the 8,000 mark intraday for the first time in history, the domestic stock market index was displayed on the electronic board in the dealing room of Hana Bank in Jung-gu, Seoul. 2026.5.15 Photo by Kang Jinhyung

Large-cap stocks were also climbing. Hyundai Mobis rose by 17.3%, while Samsung Life Insurance (12.1%), Kia (10%), Samsung C&T Corporation (9.4%), Samsung Electro-Mechanics (8.3%), and Hyundai Motor (8.1%) were also on an upward trend. Samsung Electronics, which has moved past strike risks, was up 6.6%, and SK hynix also gained 5.3%.

At the same time, the KOSDAQ index was trading at 1,107.71, up 51.64 points (4.89%) from the previous session. The KOSDAQ index also triggered a buy-sidecar due to the rapid surge. Foreign investors and institutions recorded net purchases of 100.752 billion won and 51.865 billion won, respectively, while individual investors sold 141.875 billion won.

Most of the leading KOSDAQ stocks were also rising, except for Caregen, which fell by 0.3%. Simmtech (18.2%), EO Technics (14.7%), Rainbow Robotics (10.8%), Seojin System (8.2%), Ecopro BM (7.9%), and Ecopro (7.3%) all saw gains.

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