[Edaily Reporter Kim Kyung-eun] On the 18th, the KOSPI made history by breaking through the 9,000 mark for the first time ever based on its closing price. Its market capitalization has surged, making it the seventh-largest in the world.

According to MP Doctor, the KOSPI closed at 9,063.84, up 199.60 points (2.25%) from the previous trading day. During the session, it briefly soared to 9,106.07, setting a new 52-week high.
This marks the first time the index has surpassed the 9,000 level in 16 trading days since breaking through the 8,000 mark. The market capitalization of the KOSPI reached 7,413 trillion won, elevating the total market capitalization of the domestic stock market to seventh place globally.
This year’s return is by far the highest among G20 nations. As of today, the KOSPI index has risen 115.1%, significantly outpacing the leading indices of other countries such as Japan (38.9%), Türkiye (28.1%), Italy (17.0%), and the United States (8.4%).
Driven by rising demand for memory semiconductors resulting from expanded global investment in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, the electronics and electrical equipment sector—which is centered on semiconductors—is leading the stock market rally. Additionally, buying momentum has spread to robotics and aerospace-related stocks, fueled by expectations of industry growth stemming from the expanding application of physical AI technology and major initial public offerings (IPOs) by U.S. high-tech companies.
In particular, this year’s domestic stock market stands out from other bull markets due to its explosive growth despite various external uncertainties. Even amid major external headwinds—such as the U.S.-Iran conflict, soaring international oil prices, and speculation about a U.S. interest rate hike in October—the market surged nearly twofold to the 9,000 level in just five months after ushering in the “KOSPI 5,000 era.”
Previously, the KOSPI—which broke through the 5,000 mark for the first time in history on January 27 of this year based on closing prices—reached the 6,000 mark on February 25 (just 18 trading days later), the 7,000 mark on May 6 (47 trading days later), and the 8,000 mark on May 26 (just 13 trading days later), achieving each 1,000-point milestone at an unprecedented pace.
In particular, the domestic stock market drew attention that day for its strong performance, driven by massive net buying by foreign investors and a rally in semiconductor and electronic equipment stocks—despite the fact that Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh’s first Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting the previous night had been more hawkish than expected.
The securities industry views reaching the 10,000-point mark on the KOSPI as a foregone conclusion—merely a matter of time—given the market’s solid fundamentals. Lee Kyung-min, an analyst at Daishin Securities, stated, “We are still in a phase where economic and earnings momentum remains strong, outweighing concerns over interest rate hikes,” adding, “With the KOSPI’s 12-month forward price-to-earnings ratio (PER) having just recovered to 8 times, entering the 10,000 era is possible simply through valuation normalization.”
Among securities firms, year-end KOSPI forecasts of 10,000 points or higher were presented by Eugene Investment & Securities (10,400 points), Hana Securities (10,380 points), KB Securities (10,500 points), DB Securities (11,700 points), Daishin Securities (11,500 points), and Hyundai Motor Securities (12,000 points).