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South Korean Stocks Climb as Investors Scoop Up Bargains
22 Aug
Summary
- KOSPI rises 0.86% as investors buy blue-chip shares
- Institutional and foreign investors net buyers, retail investors net sellers
- Chip and defense sectors lead gains ahead of key global events
On August 22, 2025, South Korean stocks closed higher for the second day in a row, as investors took advantage of bargain prices amid heightened global uncertainties. The benchmark KOSPI index climbed 26.99 points, or 0.86%, to close at 3,168.73.
The market saw strong institutional and foreign buying, with these investors net purchasing 159.1 billion won and 180.6 billion won worth of local shares, respectively. In contrast, retail investors were net sellers, offloading 458.5 billion won worth of stocks.
The KOSPI opened sharply higher, rising more than 1%, but pared some of its early gains due to choppy trading throughout the session. Analysts noted that the index is gaining upward momentum ahead of key global events, including Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's upcoming speech at the Jackson Hole symposium.
Optimism surrounding the upcoming South Korea-US summit is also lending support to the KOSPI, with related sectors and companies leading the rebound. The chip and defense sectors were among the top performers, with Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, Hanwha Aerospace, and Hyundai Rotem all posting gains.
