South Korea’s Kospi Index briefly surpassed the 8,000 level for the first time
on Friday, just seven trading sessions after crossing 7,000, highlighting the
rapid pace of the market’s AI-driven rally. The benchmark has nearly tripled
over the past year, led by chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which
have benefited from booming global demand for AI memory chips and infrastructure
spending. Despite the surge, foreign investors have been net sellers every day
this week, reflecting growing concerns over whether corporate earnings and
AI-related capital spending can sustain current valuations. Still, bullish
sentiment persists as the Kospi trades at 8.6 times forward earnings, well below
the S&P 500’s 21.2 times.
