South Korea's stock market extended its record-breaking rally into pre-market trading on Friday, led by strong gains in large-cap semiconductor shares. Samsung Electronics and SK hynix surged 4-5%, reviving investor sentiment.
According to alternative trading system Nextrade, pre-market trading as of 8:10 a.m. showed gains of more than 3% above reference prices.
Among top market-cap names, Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, and SK Square all traded higher. Samsung Electronics rose 5.08% from the previous session to 279,500 won, while SK hynix gained 4.43% to 1.672 million won. SK Square jumped 5.33%, reflecting expectations for semiconductor investment. LG Energy Solution (0.62%), Hyundai Motor (2.73%), Doosan Enerbility (3.07%), and Samsung Electro-Mechanics (3.07%) also advanced.
The pre-market rally appears to extend Thursday's regular session, when large-scale foreign net buying and improving semiconductor industry outlooks pushed the Kospi past the 7,300 level. Expectations of rising memory demand driven by artificial intelligence (AI) proliferation are fueling further upside expectations for large-cap chipmakers such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix.
While the market is wary of heightened volatility following the sharp short-term gains, analysts say the leadership rally centered on semiconductors is likely to continue. With pre-market gains confirming momentum after Thursday's strong advance, attention is focused on whether large-cap chip stocks will sustain the uptrend during the regular session.
Han Ji-young, analyst at Kiwoom Securities, said, "Foreign investors, who have recorded more than 6 trillion won in net buying since May, are likely to continue their 'Buy Korea' stance alongside improving earnings momentum." She added, "There is room for further Kospi gains led by semiconductors and other market leaders."
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