Is This the Peak? As Others Hesitate..."The Answer Is Clear for Surviving the KOSPI 10,000 Era"

"The answer is clear. Invest in the leading stocks, especially the female-led blue chips." This is the survival strategy proposed by Hana Securities as expectations for the KOSPI 10,000 era continue to rise.

Kim Dooun, a researcher at Hana Securities, stated in the report "Survival Strategy for the KOSPI 10,000 Era: Invest in Leading Stocks" released on May 19, that "the survival strategy for the KOSPI 10,000 era is not about defense, but preemption."

On the 15th, when the KOSPI index surpassed the 8,000 mark intraday for the first time in history, employees at the Hana Bank dealing room in Jung-gu, Seoul celebrated the KOSPI 8,000 breakthrough. 2026.5.15 Photo by Kang Jinhyung

First, Kim assessed that achieving the KOSPI 10,000 milestone is no longer an abstract slogan. He said, "During the era of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, Korea's memory semiconductor business is not just infrastructure, but a security asset directly linked to the survival of the nation and industry." He projected, "The operating profit growth of leading stocks Samsung Electronics and SK hynix will be proportional to the passage of time, and the combined figure is expected to reach KRW 1,000 trillion, which is no longer just a dream."

In particular, Kim analyzed that Korea stands at the intersection as the market simultaneously reevaluates alliances, the Middle East, and the semiconductor cycle. He said, "Manufacturing capability, supply chain responsiveness, and recovery capacity are becoming the new language of alliances," and added, "This change could serve as a trigger for a structural reevaluation of the Korean market."

Specifically, he pointed out that both the quantity and quality of exports, especially in semiconductors and shipbuilding, are changing simultaneously, interpreting this as a strategic reassessment of the value of Korea's manufacturing sector rather than just a simple economic recovery.

He also mentioned that the Middle East, previously regarded mainly as an energy supplier, is being reevaluated, and that nuclear power, power grids, transformers, cables, and LNG are transitioning from being seen as mere industrial goods to security assets. Kim explained, "AI consumes electricity, power grids are becoming bottlenecks, and Korean power equipment is being reevaluated as a leading export sector."

He further noted, "The AI phase is different from previous cycles. Companies, nations, and individuals have no choice but to increase AI spending to avoid falling behind. The data already demonstrates this shift." According to Hana Securities, capital expenditures on data centers by the five major tech companies surpassed $400 billion last year, and are expected to increase by an additional 75% this year. Data center power consumption is projected to nearly double from 485 TWh in 2025 to 950 TWh by 2030, while power usage by AI-dedicated data centers is expected to triple during the same period.

Kim stated, "When everyone is seeing the end of the cycle, the market should look beyond the cycle to the underlying structure," and analyzed, "Investment in AI is likely to continue spreading until a clear final winner emerges."

Accordingly, Kim suggested, "The investment strategy is clear: preemptively target industries with reconstruction and recovery capabilities. Defense, shipbuilding, construction machinery, power equipment, and infrastructure companies fall into this category." He also recommended, "Look for beneficiaries of energy supply chain restructuring," predicting that "the strategic value of companies related to nuclear power, power grids, LNG, oil refining and chemicals, and alternative energy could increase." Lastly, he emphasized, "The AI cycle should not be interpreted solely as a traditional semiconductor cycle. HBM, server memory, packaging, power infrastructure, and the data center value chain are areas of long-term structural growth."

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