South Korea's stock market doubles in value in 5 months of 2026

South Korean stocks registered a record rally, surging roughly 100% YTD in 2026, surpassing major market booms before the dotcom crash and during the country's industrial expansion in late 1980s. The benchmark index Kospi rose from 5,000 to 8,000 in a few months, driven by a surge in chipmaker SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics. The index rose 5.1% on Wednesday.