verdict at the close
KOSPI Surges +3.68% to 6,579.04 as Chips Lead
The KOSPI closed Wednesday, August 12 (2026) at 6,579.04, up 3.68%, after swinging across a 254.93-point intraday range (3.97%) between a session low of 6,413.50 and a high of 6,668.43.The KOSDAQ added 0.12% to close at 858.91, oscillating within a narrower 2.49% band — the two markets diverged sharply in magnitude, with large-cap semiconductors on the KOSPI driving the session’s gains while small-cap names on the KOSDAQ traded in a far tighter range.
The day’s path
A window marking the hours when direction turned during the session
KOSPI Hit Session Low of 6,413.50 at 09:09, Peaked at 6,668.43 by 12:19, Then Faded to Close at 6,579.04
Top by trading value10— snapshot
A window on how the top trading-value names have moved up to this hour
Nextrade Alternative Trading SystemKorea’s first alternative trading venue to KRX, operating pre-market, main, and after-market sessions and publishing a separate volume tally alongside the primary exchange.NXT data adds a supplementary read on how listed Korean stocks are trading outside KRX hours, and its market-share percentage reflects the pace of adoption of the alternative venue. Snapshot at 15:25 Showed Samsung Electronics and SK hynix Maintaining Day’s Gains with ₩78,213bn Combined
| Stock | Prior close | Open | Gap | High (time) | Close | Change | Low (time) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Electronics | 239,501 | 243,500 | +1.67% | 260,500 (12:14) | 255,500 | +6.68% | 241,000 (09:00) |
| SK hynix | 1,425,052 | 1,456,000 | +2.17% | 1,549,000 (12:14) | 1,504,000 | +5.54% | 1,440,000 (09:12) |
| Samsung Electro-Mechanics | 1,262,053 | 1,288,000 | +2.06% | 1,350,000 (12:20) | 1,335,000 | +5.78% | 1,275,000 (09:02) |
| SK Square | 944,998 | 982,000 | +3.92% | 1,053,000 (12:31) | 1,024,000 | +8.36% | 970,000 (09:00) |
| LG Electronics | 181,705 | 184,200 | +1.37% | 212,500 (10:45) | 205,000 | +12.82% | 184,200 (09:00) |
| Samsung Electronics (Pref.) | 180,207 | 182,500 | +1.27% | 189,500 (12:17) | 186,100 | +3.27% | 180,500 (09:00) |
| Daewon Cable | 14,520 | 15,100 | +3.99% | 16,080 (14:36) | 16,030 | +10.40% | 15,020 (09:00) |
| Hanwha Aerospace | 1,098,024 | 1,116,000 | +1.64% | 1,191,000 (13:58) | 1,156,000 | +5.28% | 1,083,000 (09:09) |
| Korea Kolmar | 107,899 | 114,100 | +5.75% | 139,300 (10:10) | 132,500 | +22.80% | 109,000 (09:14) |
| Kumho E&C | 11,490 | 11,620 | +1.13% | 14,930 (10:53) | 14,930 | +29.94% | 11,340 (09:00) |
At the NXT snapshot (20-minute delay, as of 15:25), Samsung Electronics and SK hynix showed gains of +6.68% and +5.33% respectively, consistent with KRX closing prints, with combined NXT turnover of ₩78,213bn across the two names.Intraday, the KOSPI session low of 6,413.50 was struck at 09:09, and the session high of 6,668.43 was printed at 12:19 — after which the index faded roughly 89 points into the close at 6,579.04, with Samsung Electronics reaching its intraday peak of ₩260,500 at 12:14.
Flow summary
A window on how much foreign investors, retail investors, investment firms and pension funds each bought and sold
Foreign Net Buying ₩2,835.8bn on KOSPI Today Reverses a One-Week Net Selling Streak
The stocks that moved the market — top by turnover10
A window on which investor groups backed the most heavily traded stocks
Samsung Electronics and SK hynix Together Turned Over ₩13,697bn — Half the KOSPI’s Chip-Driven Volume
Samsung Electronics (₩6,868.8bn) and SK hynix (₩6,828.2bn) together accounted for roughly ₩13,697bn of KOSPI turnover — both names rose more than 5% on the session — while Samsung Electro-Mechanics (₩925.9bn, +5.78%) and LG Electronics (₩622.8bn, +12.82%) rounded out the KOSPI top five by value.
| Stock | Close | Change | Turnover | Foreign investors | Institutions | Investment firms | Pension funds | Retail investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Electronics | ₩255,500 | +6.68% | ₩6.87tn | +₩1.48tn | +₩196.3bn | +₩291.6bn | −₩31.9bn | −₩1.53tn |
| SK hynix | ₩1,504,000 | +5.54% | ₩6.83tn | +₩852.2bn | +₩288.8bn | +₩176.7bn | +₩43.6bn | −₩1.14tn |
| Samsung Electro-Mechanics | ₩1,335,000 | +5.78% | ₩925.9bn | +₩175.9bn | +₩108.5bn | +₩50.3bn | +₩9.2bn | −₩274.8bn |
| SK Square | ₩1,024,000 | +8.36% | ₩721.5bn | +₩100.8bn | +₩59.3bn | +₩48.5bn | +₩3.8bn | −₩154.8bn |
| LG Electronics | ₩205,000 | +12.82% | ₩622.8bn | +₩115.3bn | +₩68.9bn | +₩32.8bn | +₩25.6bn | −₩183.3bn |
| Samsung Electronics (Pref.) | ₩186,100 | +3.27% | ₩585.4bn | −₩51.9bn | +₩23.1bn | +₩17.4bn | +₩21.3bn | +₩26.1bn |
| Daewon Cable | ₩16,030 | +10.40% | ₩411.3bn | +₩15.2bn | +₩9.5bn | +₩0.1bn | +₩0.2bn | −₩25.0bn |
| Hanwha Aerospace | ₩1,156,000 | +5.28% | ₩348.9bn | −₩19.3bn | +₩12.0bn | −₩6.8bn | +₩13.0bn | +₩4.4bn |
| Korea Kolmar | ₩132,500 | +22.80% | ₩329.4bn | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kumho E&C | ₩14,930 | +29.94% | ₩293.4bn | — | — | — | — | — |
Gainers5· Decliners5 — KOSPI & KOSDAQ
A window on the biggest gainers and decliners, and the reasons behind them
Beauty and Chip Names Dominate KOSPI Gains; Shipbuilding and Biotech Weigh on Decliners
On the KOSPI, the top-gaining names included Kumho Construction (+29.94%), Hankook Kolmar (+22.80%), Cosmax (+18.81%), and LG Electronics (+12.82%), spanning construction, beauty OEM, and electronics — a broad sectoral spread on the upside — while the steepest declines were concentrated in Daelim Tongsan (–13.25%), Kyungdong Navien (–11.30%), and OCI Holdings (–6.40%).On the KOSDAQ, outsized gains in robotics and semiconductor-equipment names (MX Robotics +29.93%, J&TC +22.93%, Seozan +19.85%) contrasted with sharp drops in Delicious (–26.57%), Pearl Abyss (–14.50%), and Ollix (–13.95%), suggesting the session’s strength was theme-specific rather than broad-based on this exchange.
After-Hours Outlook
A window on what to watch in after-hours trade once the regular session ends
Futures Board Points Mixed: Nikkei CME +0.49% Overnight, S&P 500 Futures –0.28% as of 05:00 KST
As of 05:00 KST, S&P 500 futures were down 0.28% and Nasdaq 100 futures were off 0.36%, while Nikkei CME futures showed a gain of 0.49% — a split overnight signal, with Korean-listed chips having already priced in significant upside today.In the 2026 regime, Wednesdays have produced KOSPI gains in 80% of sessions (n=30) with an average foreign net position of –₩175.3bn; today’s provisional foreign net buying of +₩2,835.8bn sits well above that Wednesday average, which the after-hours tape may help clarify as final investor data clears around 18:00–20:00 KST.