The KOSPI index is surging nearly 4% in the afternoon on the 18th. As foreigners are net buyers in both the cash and futures markets, and large sums are flowing into exchange-traded funds (ETFs), the index's gains have widened.
After the opening of Nvidia's annual conference "GTC 2026," investor interest has grown again on rising demand for artificial intelligence (AI). Large-cap semiconductor stocks such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are jumping sharply.
As of 12:50 p.m. that day, the KOSPI index was trading around 5,860 points, up 3.9% from the previous session. The KOSPI index started the day up 2.24% at the 5,760 level, and gains widened early in the session as foreigners turned net buyers.
Foreigners are showing strong net buying in the Korean stock market. They are net buyers of 350 billion won in the cash segment of the Korea Exchange, and hold a buying advantage of more than 10,000 contracts in KOSPI200 futures.
Individuals are net sellers of more than 2.6 trillion won, and institutions hold a buying advantage of 2.4 trillion won. Pension funds are net buyers of 260 billion won, and financial investment, which captures ETF flows, holds a buying advantage of 2 trillion won.
Kang Jin-hyeok, an analyst at Shinhan Investment & Securities, said, "Foreigners are net buying centered on KOSPI200 futures," and noted, "Semiconductor strength has continued since Jensen Huang, Nvidia's chief executive, gave a speech at GTC 2026." Micron, called a "memory barometer," is expected to announce earnings soon.
Although the Iran war continues, investors appear to be focusing more on rising global AI demand than on instability in the Middle East. Nvidia declared at this GTC that it would grow not as a simple chip manufacturer but as an "AI infrastructure platform company," and expectations that the related ecosystem will expand significantly appear to be reflected in the stock market.
Among top market-cap stocks on the main board, all are rising except defense stock Hanwha Aerospace. Samsung Electronics topped 200,000 won, and SK hynix exceeded 1 million won. Following the passage of the Special Act on Investment in the United States, nuclear power stocks such as Doosan Enerbility and Daewoo Engineering & Construction are also showing strength.