On Monday morning, January 12, South Korean stocks rose more than 1 percent, driven by buying in chip and energy shares. The KOSPI index added 1.23 percent to 4,642.52 as of 11:20 a.m. Positive closes in U.S. markets contributed to the upbeat start.
On Monday, January 12, 2026, South Korean stocks opened higher and continued to climb, led by gains in semiconductor and energy shares. The benchmark KOSPI rose 29.81 points, or 0.65 percent, to 4,616.13 in the first 15 minutes of trading, and added 56.2 points, or 1.23 percent, to 4,642.52 by 11:20 a.m.
Chipmakers drove the rally, with market bellwether Samsung Electronics up 0.36 percent early and 0.86 percent later, while SK hynix advanced 0.54 percent initially and 1.75 percent by mid-morning. In energy, Doosan Enerbility surged 4.63 percent and state-run Korea Power Corp. gained 2.23 percent. Defense stocks also contributed, as Hanwha Aerospace rose 0.87 percent and LIG Nex1 jumped 3.14 percent. Automakers performed strongly too, with Hyundai Motor soaring 2.73 percent and affiliate Kia climbing 0.53 percent. Construction firm Hyundai Engineering & Construction spiked 13.72 percent, while GS Engineering & Construction added 1.55 percent.
Not all sectors fared well: pharmaceutical giant Samsung Biologics fell 1.22 percent, and Samyang Foods, known for its Buldak ramen, dropped 1.91 percent. The local currency traded at 1,460 won per U.S. dollar at 9:15 a.m., down 1.7 won from the previous session, and weakened further to 1,462.15 won, down 4.55 won, by 11:20 a.m.
The positive momentum followed Friday's U.S. gains, where the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.48 percent and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.81 percent. This comes amid a robust market backdrop, with 2025 stock settlements totaling 601.4 trillion won, up 24.4 percent year-on-year.
