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<p style="text-align: left;" data-start="124" data-end="334"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">South Korea&rsquo;s key stock index, the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), surpassed the 3,000-point level for the first time in more than three years on Friday morning, buoyed by gains in major tech stocks.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;" data-start="336" data-end="604"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">By 11:15 a.m., the KOSPI had climbed 31.84 points, or 1.07%, reaching 3,009.58. This marks the first time the index has crossed the 3,000 threshold since January 3, 2022. The KOSPI had initially breached this level for the first time in its history on January 6, 2021.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;" data-start="606" data-end="802"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Tech giants led the rally. Samsung Electronics rose 0.84%, while chipmaker SK hynix jumped 3.25%. Biotech shares also performed strongly&mdash;Samsung Biologics climbed 1.8%, and Celltrion gained 1.87%.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;" data-start="804" data-end="1041"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Battery manufacturer LG Energy Solution advanced 3.78%, and defense firm Hanwha Aerospace increased by 1.71%. Kakao, the operator of South Korea&rsquo;s top messaging app, saw a 3.48% gain, while major shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy added 2.21%.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;" data-start="1043" data-end="1176"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">However, some stocks lagged. Nuclear power equipment maker Doosan Enerbility dropped 1.97%, and HD Korea Shipbuilding declined 1.45%.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;" data-start="1178" data-end="1280"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The South Korean won was trading at 1,373.6 per U.S. dollar, up 6.6 won from the previous day&rsquo;s close.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;" data-start="1282" data-end="1592"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Meanwhile, global index provider MSCI released its 2025 market accessibility review, acknowledging South Korea&rsquo;s recent reforms to improve foreign participation in its equity and currency markets. These include extending foreign exchange trading hours and allowing foreign players in the onshore forex market.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;" data-start="1594" data-end="1875"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Despite these steps, MSCI noted that challenges remain, such as the lack of an offshore currency market and restrictions in the onshore market. Operational hurdles in registration processes and limited use of omnibus accounts and OTC transactions continue to hinder broader access.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;" data-start="1877" data-end="2241"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">MSCI upgraded South Korea's rating for stock short selling from negative to positive after the country fully lifted a ban on short selling in late March. The ban, originally reinstated in November 2023, had been criticized for limiting market transparency. MSCI said it will monitor future developments to evaluate the long-term impact of these regulatory changes.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;" data-start="2243" data-end="2338" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node=""><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">South Korea remains classified as an emerging market under MSCI&rsquo;s current index categorization.</span></p>
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<div class="text-center" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed.</span></div>
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Korea Composite Stock Price Index surpassed the 3,000-point

South Korea’s key stock index surges past 3,000 on tech rally, hitting highest level since Jan 2022

KOSPI Crosses 3,000 Mark After 3-Year Gap

South Korea’s key stock index surges past 3,000 on tech rally, hitting highest level since Jan 2022

June 20, 2025 | 10:58 IST