'Unprecedented' KOSPI breaks through the 4,200 level…Intraday and closing prices both record highs

KOSPI closes at 4,221.87, up 2.78%

Korea-U.S. tariff talks reach dramatic agreement

Easing of U.S.-China trade tensions

NVIDIA and AI alliance optimism

Samsung reaches 110,000-won mark; SK Hynix hits 620,000 won

Power equipment and eco-friendly power stocks surge

On the 3rd, the KOSPI index surged more than 2% to reach the 4,220 level, repeatedly setting record highs. daejaju Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, among other major semiconductor stocks, showed strength and drove the index higher. Samsung Electronics broke the 110,000-won mark for the first time, achieving the '110,000-won Samsung' milestone, and SK Hynix also surpassed 620,000 won.

That day, the KOSPI index closed at 4,221.87, up 114.37 points (2.78%) from the previous session. The KOSPI, which opened up 0.39%, quickly rose 2.79% intraday to record 4,221.92. Both intraday and closing levels are record highs.

As the APEC meeting provided an opportunity, Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations reached a dramatic agreement and U.S.-China trade tensions eased, which eased investors' caution. Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, also promised to supply 260,000 high-performance graphics processing units (GPUs) to the Korean government and companies, which acted as a positive factor. As a result, Korea secured its position as the world's third-largest GPU holder after the U.S. and China.

In the listed market, individuals and institutions bought KRW 651.5 billion and KRW 185.4 billion worth of stocks respectively, while foreigners sold KRW 796.3 billion worth. Institutions, which initially sold early in the session, turned to buying, adding momentum to the index rise.

Market observers say that the dramatic agreement in Korea-U.S. tariff follow-up talks and the easing of U.S.-China trade frictions lifted some of the uncertainty that had been weighing on the domestic market. In addition, following NVIDIA's announcement to supply 260,000 high-performance GPUs to four Korean government and corporate entities, expectations for data center expansion were reflected and drove the index higher.

Investors in particular actively bought Samsung Electronics (3.35%) and SK Hynix (10.91%). Samsung Electronics reached the '110,000-won' milestone for the first time in history, and SK Hynix broke through 620,000 won.

Power equipment stocks such as LS Electric (12.3%), Iljin Electric (10.42%), HD Hyundai Electric (9.08%), and Hyosung Heavy Industries (9.04%) surged on expectations of facility investment from domestic data center expansion. News of Meta's 1GW (gigawatt) scale solar power purchase agreement and First Solar's strong third-quarter performance drove eco-friendly power-related stocks such as HD Hyundai Energy Solution (28.35%), OCI Holdings (12.61%), and Hanwha Solutions (8.17%) sharply higher.

Among other top market-cap KOSPI stocks, Hanwha Aerospace (6.44%), Naver (2.62%), KB Financial Group (1.2%), HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (1.17%), Doosan Enerbility (0.9%), Hanwha Ocean (0.87%), LG Energy Solution (0.53%), and Hyundai Motor (0.52%) rose, while Kia (-1.83%) and Celltrion (-0.57%) fell. Samsung Biologics ended flat.

The KOSDAQ index closed at 914.55, up 14.13 points (1.57%) from the previous session. The KOSDAQ, which opened 0.64% higher, at one point widened gains to 1.61% intraday. On the KOSDAQ market, foreigners and institutions bought KRW 388.7 billion and KRW 3.2 billion worth respectively, while individuals sold KRW 341.9 billion.

Among top KOSDAQ market-cap stocks, EcoPro (7.73%), Alteogen (7.06%), ABL Bio (3.61%), EcoPro BM (3.06%), RIGAChem Bio (1.57%), RINO Industry (0.52%), and Samchundang Pharmaceutical (0.21%) rose, while HLB (-2.98%), Peptron (-2.59%), and PharmaResearch (-0.18%) fell.

Robotics stocks such as Robotis (24.49%), Robostar (17.03%), Doosan Robotics (18.08%), and Rainbow Robotics (11.23%) surged on expectations for industrial development tied to AI data center construction, according to securities industry analysis.

JYP Entertainment (5.07%) also hit a 52-week high after reports that Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Park Jin-young, chairman of the Korea-China Cultural Exchange Committee, at the APEC leaders' state banquet on the 1st.

In the Seoul foreign exchange market, the won–dollar exchange rate closed the weekly session at 1,428.8 won, up 4.4 won from the previous session.

Goh Jeong-sam, Hankyung.com reporter jsk@hankyung.com