Home > Business > Finance

Kospi surpasses 4,680 mark for first time during morning trade

Published: 13 Jan. 2026, 10:31

A screen in Hana Bank's trading room in central Seoul shows the Kospi in the morning of Jan. 13, 2026. [YONHAP]

Shares opened higher Tuesday on gains from auto and shipbuilding shares, reaching new intraday record highs.

The benchmark Kospi rose 37.65 points, or 0.81 percent, to 4,662.44 as markets opened, surpassing the previous intraday record of 4,652.4 on Monday. It surpassed the 4,680 mark around 9:52 a.m. before dropping.

The bourse rose for a seventh straight session to finish at 4,624.79 on Monday, marking the first time it has closed above the 4,600 mark.

Overnight, the U.S. stock market finished higher as investors digested the U.S. Justice Department's criminal investigation of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.17 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite gained 0.26 percent.

In Seoul, auto and shipbuilding shares started in positive territory.

Top carmaker Hyundai Motor soared 6.95 percent, and its auto parts affiliate Hyundai Mobis surged 8.25 percent.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, a major shipbuilder, jumped 3.64 percent, and Hanwha Ocean added 1.1 percent.

Bio shares were also strong, as Samsung Biologics climbed 3.07 percent and Celltrion increased 2.1 percent.

However, chip giant Samsung Electronics stayed flat, and SK hynix fell 0.53 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,470.25 won against the greenback at 9:15 a.m., up 0.13 percent from the previous session's close of 1,468.4 won.

BY KIM JU-YEON, YONHAP [[email protected]]