[Edaily Reporter KIM YOON-JEONG ] The KOSPI surged more than 2% in early trading on the 22nd, breaking through the 7,100 mark for the first time in nine trading days. Following last night’s sharp rally in U.S. semiconductor stocks—driven by the success of Meta’s Agent AI on the New York Stock Exchange—SamsungElectronics and SK hynix are also rising by 2–3% in Korea, leading the index higher.

According to MP Doctor, as of 9:05 a.m. today, the KOSPI stood at 7,162.27, up 154.55 points (2.21%) from the previous trading day. The index opened at 7,161.61, up 153.89 points (2.20%) from the previous close.
By investor type, based on NextTrade (NXT) data, retail investors are net sellers by 381.3 billion won. Foreign investors and institutions are net buyers by 277.7 billion won and 68.5 billion won, respectively.
Overnight, U.S. stock markets rose across the board, buoyed by a surge in AI-related stocks and declines in international oil prices and U.S. Treasury yields. On the 21st (local time), the Nasdaq Index closed at 27,122.09, up 2.26%, setting a new all-time high. The S&P 500 Index rose 1.49%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.71%.
Buying momentum spread across AI-related stocks as “Muse,” a personal productivity Agent AI launched by Meta earlier this month, climbed to the top spot in the Apple App Store’s free app rankings. Meta surged more than 11%, and Intel also rose 12.14% on expectations of increased demand for central processing units (CPUs) needed to power Agent AI agents. AMD jumped 9.95%, surpassing a market capitalization of $1 trillion for the first time in its history.
The pressure on the domestic stock market from oil prices and interest rates, which had been weighing on the market recently, also eased significantly. As expectations for a diplomatic resolution between the U.S. and Iran grew, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil closed at $95.78 per barrel, down 4.5%. Brent crude also fell 3.4% to $100.34. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note dropped 4.2 basis points to 4.954%, falling below the 5% mark.
Han Ji-young, an analyst at KIWOOM Securities, stated, “We expect the domestic stock market to rise today, buoyed by the rally in U.S. AI stocks led by Meta, amid a favorable macroeconomic environment marked by the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield falling below 5.0% and international oil prices dropping below $100.”
Most sectors are also showing strength. The electrical and electronics sector is leading the gains with a 2.98% rise, while construction (2.81%), securities (2.59%), manufacturing (2.50%), and IT services (2.02%) are also rising. In contrast, the food, beverage, and tobacco sector (-0.32%), pharmaceuticals (-0.26%), and entertainment and culture (-0.04%) are trading lower.
Among the top market-cap stocks, SamsungElectronics(005930)is trading at 281,500 won, up 7,500 won (2.74%) from the previous trading day. SK hynix(000660)is trading at 1,929,000 won, up 61,000 won (3.27%).
SamsungElectroMechanics(009150)is surging 5.88%, while SKSQUARE(402340)(2.93%), SAMSUNG C&T CORPORATION(028260)(2.59%), Samsung Life Insurance(032830)(2.58%), HyundaiMotor(005380)(2.51%), and SamsungElectronics(1P)(005935)(2.40%) are also showing strength. LG Energy Solution(373220)is also up 1.42%. In contrast, KB Financial Group(105560)is down 0.79%, and SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS(207940)is down 0.07%.
The KOSDAQ market is also rising. At the same time, the KOSDAQ index stands at 844.52, up 8.25 points (0.99%) from the previous trading day. The index opened at 846.14, up 9.87 points (1.18%) from the previous close.
On the KOSDAQ, retail investors are net buyers of 106.8 billion won, while foreign and institutional investors are net sellers of 87.6 billion won and 19.9 billion won, respectively.
Top-market-cap stocks are also generally on the rise. The top-ranked stock by market cap, Alteogen Inc.(196170), is up 0.20%, while the second-ranked stock, ECOPRO CO., LTD(086520), is up 1.25%. In addition, ECOPRO BM CO., LTD.(247540)is up 1.55%, JUSUNG ENGINEERING Co.,Ltd.(036930)is up 2.19%, and WONIK IPS Co.,Ltd.(240810)is up 3.41%. SIMMTECH Co., Ltd. and ISC Co., LTD. are surging 13.31% and 7.48%, respectively.