[Digital Today reporter Sangyeop Oh (오상엽)] South Korea's KOSPI closed above 8,000 for the first time on a closing basis. It came 13 trading sessions after it first broke 7,000 on the 6th. Expectations of improved semiconductor earnings and increased funds flowing into capital markets combined to support the rise.

The Korea Exchange said on the 26th the KOSPI ended at 8,047.51, up from the previous session. The intraday high rose to 8,131.15.

This is the first time the KOSPI has topped 8,000 on a closing basis. Earlier, the KOSPI closed at 7,384.56 on the 6th, breaking 7,000 for the first time. It moved past 8,000 about three weeks later.

Market capitalisation also set a fresh record alongside the index rise. The KOSPI market's market value was tallied at 6,581 trillion won. That was up 523 trillion won from 6,058 trillion won on the 6th, when the index broke 7,000.

Total market capitalisation of South Korea's stock market ranked seventh in the world as of the 25th. Countries ahead of South Korea were the United States, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and India, in that order.

The KOSPI's gain this year also stood out compared with major countries. The Korea Exchange said the KOSPI rose 91.0 percent from January to May 26, ranking first among G20 countries. Japan rose 29.4 percent, Turkey 23.3 percent and Italy 11.7 percent.

The pace of the KOSPI breaking through 1,000-point milestones is also accelerating. After first topping 1,000 on March 31, 1989, the KOSPI broke 2,000 on July 25, 2007 and 3,000 on Jan. 7, 2021.

It then broke 4,000 on Oct. 27, 2025, 5,000 on Jan. 27, 2026 and 6,000 on Feb. 25, 2026, and entered the 7,000 range on the 6th.

The Korea Exchange cited strong earnings at global technology stocks and increased investment as factors behind the move above 8,000. It said positive assessments of domestic semiconductor companies' earnings continued as mid- to long-term supply contracts related to memory semiconductors were signed and earnings forecasts were revised higher.

An increase in idle funds waiting to enter the stock market also supported the upward trend. Customer deposits rose to 878 trillion won at end-2025 from 542 trillion won at end-2024.

This year, they increased to 1,060 trillion won at end-January, 1,187 trillion won at end-February and 1,248 trillion won at end-April, and stood at 1,256 trillion won as of the 20th.

A Korea Exchange official said, "Improved semiconductor performance based on expanding demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and the effects of capital market advancement policies could serve as additional momentum for the index's rise."

It cited profit-taking demand, a sharp rise in government bond yields in major countries and uncertainty over monetary policy as burden factors.