Korea’s equity rally in the second half of the year has expanded the ranks of its market heavyweights, with 14 more companies crossing the 10 trillion won ($6.9 billion) valuation mark.
Korea Exchange data released Sunday show 61 firms now above that threshold, up from 47 in May before the market’s sharp advance. Most of the newcomers are listed on the benchmark Kospi, while only three — biopharmaceutical firm Alteogen, battery-materials maker Ecopro BM and its parent Ecopro — came from the Kosdaq.
As of Friday’s close, the trio were valued at 29.6 trillion won, 14.7 trillion won and 12.2 trillion won, respectively; in May, only Alteogen had cleared the threshold.
The Kospi’s top tier also expanded, with LG Energy Solution joining Samsung Electronics and SK hynix in the 100 trillion won category at 108.3 trillion won.
Fueled by policy optimism under the administration that took office in June and the easing of political uncertainties, Kospi market capitalization has surged 49 percent since June to 3,298.6 trillion won.
Year-to-date gains total 68 percent, the fastest among major global markets. The index — which began the year near 2,400 — climbed to around 2,700 by early June before touching a 2025 peak of 4,226.7 on Nov. 4. It closed Friday at 4,011.5 after a mild pullback.
The Kosdaq has also strengthened, with market value rising nearly 25 percent from about 380 trillion won in early June to 473 trillion won Friday. The index climbed from 740 to 898 over the same period, bringing year-to-date gains to 38 percent in market cap and 32 percent in the index.
The widening gap between the two boards highlights how the rally has been driven primarily by Kospi heavyweights, especially semiconductor names. Samsung Electronics’ valuation jumped 73 percent over the past 5 1/2 months to 575.4 trillion won, while SK hynix more than doubled to 407.7 trillion won.
Their combined 501.5 trillion won gain accounts for nearly half of the Kospi’s total 1,087 trillion won increase during the period.
Other entrants to the 10 trillion won club since June include Hyosung Heavy Industries, Posco Future M, HD Hyundai, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Doosan, LS Electric, Mirae Asset Securities, Hyundai Glovis, Hanmi Semiconductor, Korea Aerospace Industries, SK Biopharm and Hanwha Systems.
jwc@heraldcorp.com
