On Tuesday, January 13, Seoul stocks opened higher on gains in auto and shipbuilding shares, hitting an all-time intraday high before trimming advances as semiconductors weakened. The KOSPI index stood at 4,645.86, up 0.46 percent, as of 11:20 a.m. Positive overnight U.S. market performance supported the early rise.
On January 13, 2026, South Korean stocks began the Tuesday session higher, driven by advances in auto, shipbuilding, and IT shares. The benchmark KOSPI index opened up 0.81 percent and touched an all-time intraday high of 4,672.04 before gains narrowed due to weakness in large-cap semiconductors, closing at 4,645.86, up 21.07 points or 0.46 percent, as of 11:20 a.m.
In the auto sector, top carmaker Hyundai Motor surged 11.58 percent, while its affiliate Hyundai Mobis soared 15.74 percent. Shipbuilders also performed well, with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries jumping 3.64 percent and Hanwha Ocean adding 1.1 percent. IT heavyweights Naver rose 1.17 percent and Kakao edged up 0.17 percent. Game stocks were strong too, as NCSOFT climbed 6.71 percent and Netmarble increased 0.92 percent. Biotech shares advanced, with Samsung Biologics up 3.07 percent and Celltrion gaining 2.1 percent.
Semiconductors bucked the trend, however. Industry leader Samsung Electronics fell 1.01 percent, and SK hynix dropped 2.67 percent. Earlier in the session, Samsung was flat and SK hynix down 0.53 percent.
The positive start followed overnight gains on Wall Street, where the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.17 percent and the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.26 percent, as investors processed a U.S. Justice Department criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The local currency traded at 1,470.25 won per dollar early on, down 1.85 won, and at 1,471.7 won by 11:20 a.m., down 3.5 won.
This session reflects resilience in Korean export-oriented sectors amid global economic uncertainties.
