KOSDAQ Surges 2% on Retail, Institutional Buying as KOSPI Slips

The KOSDAQ index rose approximately 2% on strong buying from retail and institutional investors, while the KOSPI declined over 1% amid continued foreign selling pressure.

According to the Korea Exchange, as of 1:30 p.m. on January 6, the KOSDAQ stood at 1,137.18, up 20.77 points (1.86%) from the previous session.

Despite foreign investors recording net sales of 320 billion won, retail investors (99.7 billion won) and institutional investors (228.8 billion won) maintained net buying positions, driving the upward momentum.

The KOSDAQ opened at 1,117.49, up 1.08 points (0.10%) from the previous close, then extended gains to reach as high as 1,154.23.

This triggered a program trading sidecar—a temporary suspension of program buy orders—shortly after the market opened. It marked the second consecutive day of buy-side sidecar activation.

The index briefly dipped below the 1,100 level before recovering to maintain gains in the 1-2% range.

Among top KOSDAQ stocks by market capitalization, secondary battery-related shares showed strength, with EcoPro rising 4.10% and EcoPro BM gaining 2.25%. ABL Bio climbed 6.78% and LEENO Industrial added 3.29%.

In contrast, Samchundang Pharmaceutical fell 3.27% and Rainbow Robotics dropped 1.08%. Alteogen traded flat.

The KOSPI opened at 5,491.02, down 92.88 points (1.66%) from the previous session. The index briefly turned positive in the morning but extended losses as foreign net selling intensified.

However, retail investors' net purchases of 2.531 trillion won limited the decline, keeping the index hovering around the 1% loss range. Foreign investors recorded net sales of 1.8024 trillion won, while institutions sold a net 785.9 billion won.

Among large-cap KOSPI stocks, semiconductor leaders Samsung Electronics and SK hynix fell 2.64% and 2.55%, respectively. Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor gained 0.18% and LG Energy Solution rose 0.27%.