[Edaily Reporter PARK MIN ] The KOSPI touched the “7,000-point mark” (KOSPI 7,000) in early trading on the 21st, buoyed by a strong start from semiconductor stocks. Attention is focused on whether the KOSPI—which last week weathered major headwinds such as the U.S. interest rate hike and concerns over an AI slowdown—will fully reclaim the 7,000-point level today.

According to MP Doctor, as of 9:12 a.m., the KOSPI is trading at 6,956.78, up 62.55 points (0.91%) from the previous trading day. The KOSPI rose as high as 7,001.33 early in the session, touching the 7,000 mark, before consolidating around the 6,950 level. This marks the first time in seven trading days—since the 10th of this month—that the KOSPI has traded above the 7,000 mark during the session.

By investor type, retail investors are driving the index higher with net purchases of 46.5 billion won, while foreign investors are net buyers of 20.6 billion won. In contrast, institutional investors are the sole net sellers, offloading 74.5 billion won worth of shares. On the KOSPI market, 408 stocks rose, while 322 fell.

At the same time, the KOSDAQ Index is trading at 822.49, down 4.63 points (0.56%) from the previous trading day, showing mixed trends. In the KOSDAQ market, retail investors are net buying 54.1 billion won, but foreign and institutional investors are net selling 31.3 billion won and 18.3 billion won, respectively, putting pressure on the index. In the KOSDAQ market, 733 stocks rose and 640 stocks fell.

Most of the top KOSPI stocks by market capitalization, led by major semiconductor stocks, are in the red. SamsungElectronics(005930)is trading at 270,000 won, up 3.45% from the previous trading day, while SK hynix(000660)is also up 0.32% at 1,863,000 won. SamsungElectronics(1P)(005935)(4.03%), SKSQUARE(402340)(1.85%), and SamsungElectroMechanics(009150)(1.30%)—leading semiconductor and IT stocks—all showed steady gains.

In addition, SAMSUNG C&T CORPORATION(028260)(2.28%), KB Financial Group(105560)(0.80%), and SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS(207940)(0.43%) also joined the upward trend. On the other hand, LG Energy Solution(373220), a major player in the secondary battery sector, is trading at 355,000 won, down 2.47%, and HyundaiMotor(005380)(-0.96%) is also showing weakness.

Top KOSDAQ stocks by market capitalization are showing mixed performance. Alteogen Inc.(196170), the top-ranked stock by market cap, is trading at 256,000 won, up 0.99%, while semiconductor materials and equipment stocks WONIK IPS Co.,Ltd.(240810)(1.15%) and EO Technics Co., Ltd.(039030)(0.88%) are rebounding.

In contrast, leading secondary battery stocks ECOPRO BM CO., LTD.(247540)(-1.43%) and ECOPRO CO., LTD(086520)(-1.11%) are both on a downward trend. Following them, Rainbow Robotics(277810)(-1.03%), LEENO Industrial Inc(058470)(-1.01%), ROBOTIS(108490)(-0.65%), JUSUNG ENGINEERING Co.,Ltd.(036930)(-0.24%), and SIMMTECH Co., Ltd.(222800)(-0.16%) also remained in slightly negative territory.

By sector, the software sector stood out by surging 10.72% amid the perception that investment will continue despite calls for a slowdown in AI. Oil and Gas (2.77%), Integrated Utilities (2.67%), Life Insurance (2.39%), Healthcare Technology (2.11%), and Semiconductors and Semiconductor Equipment (2.04%) also ranked among the top gainers.

Conversely, the energy equipment and services sector (-2.30%) recorded the largest decline, while electrical products (-2.19%), internet and catalog retail (-1.89%), air cargo transportation and logistics (-1.76%), building materials (-1.58%), and chemicals (-1.53%) continued to struggle.

Earlier last Friday, the New York stock market saw the Nasdaq rise as buying momentum continued in AI-related stocks—particularly semiconductors—even as the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note re-surpassed 5% during the session and crude oil prices touched $100 per barrel and remained elevated.

In particular, the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index rose 2.78%, with SanDisk (10.99%), Seagate (6.93%), Western Digital (4.13%), Micron (3.92%), and SK hynix ADR (2.46%) all closing higher.

The biggest event this week is the U.S.-China summit scheduled to take place at the White House on the 24th. U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to discuss bilateral issues such as AI, trade, and rare earth elements. Investor sentiment toward semiconductor stocks, such as SamsungElectronics and SK hynix, is expected to shift depending on the direction of U.S. semiconductor regulations targeting China.

Han Ji-young, an analyst at KIWOOM Securities, said, “This week, the direction of the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield and the U.S.-China summit are expected to be key factors influencing the stock market’s trajectory,” adding, “Key points to watch include whether the KOSPI can continue to raise its lows and the trading direction of foreign investors, who switched to net buying last Friday for the first time in eight trading days.”

However, since trading days will be limited to just three (September 21–23) due to the Chuseok holiday—and trading volume is expected to decline—investors should also be mindful of short-term volatility resulting from profit-taking ahead of the holiday.

One analyst noted, “There is a possibility that a pattern of ‘spreading wait-and-see sentiment → declining trading volume → thinner order books and supply-demand gaps’ could emerge over the three trading days,” but added, “Since this will likely be a temporary phenomenon caused by the holiday, we should avoid interpreting the volatility arising from short-term supply-demand gaps as a sign of a fundamental shift in the market.”