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Kospi Jumps 17.9%—AI Stocks Lead Record Surge

8/1/2026

36 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

AI-Memory Stocks Rally

Kospi surged 17.9% on Friday, July 31 2026, closing at 6,695.45, its biggest one-day gain ever.
AI-memory stocks led the rebound, sending Samsung Electronics up 28% and SK Hynix up 30%.
Foreign investors were net buyers of 4.86 trillion won ($3.38 billion) in the Kospi market that morning.
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won reportedly bought about $3.2 million of SK Hynix shares, boosting confidence.

Summary

South Korea Funds AI

South Korea will pour $14 billion into its sovereign-wealth fund for AI initiatives and data-centre builds.
Regulators will limit retail exposure to leveraged ETFs to curb market-panic spikes.
The circuit-breaker rule has halted Kospi trading multiple times this year to dampen swings.
Korean FX officials sold dollars on Friday while Japan’s Finance Minister Shunichi Katayama said authorities stand ready to intervene.

History

Historical Context

In 1999 the Nasdaq Composite jumped 85.6% as venture capital flooded Internet startups, echoing the 1995-2000 400% rise that created a bubble comparable to earlier technology manias. The 2026 AI-driven rally in South Korea, where Samsung rose 28% and SK Hynix 30% after a $14 billion sovereign-wealth fund allocation, mirrors the pattern of rapid tech gains prompting regulatory responses.

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AI-Memory Stocks Rally

Kospi surged 17.9% on Friday, July 31 2026, closing at 6,695.45, its biggest one-day gain ever.
AI-memory stocks led the rebound, sending Samsung Electronics up 28% and SK Hynix up 30%.
Foreign investors were net buyers of 4.86 trillion won ($3.38 billion) in the Kospi market that morning.
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won reportedly bought about $3.2 million of SK Hynix shares, boosting confidence.

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