Seoul steals the show: KOSPI rockets 48%, leaves Nikkei and Nasdaq trailing

South Korea’s KOSPI outperformed major global equity benchmarks, rising 48.2% from March 31 to May 7 versus 23.1% for Japan’s Nikkei 225 and 20.5% for the Nasdaq 100. The rally was driven by semiconductor stocks, indicating strong sector momentum and improved investor appetite for Korean equities. The article is primarily a performance and flow story rather than a company-specific catalyst.

Analysis

South Korea’s KOSPI outperformed major global equity benchmarks, rising 48.2% from March 31 to May 7 versus 23.1% for Japan’s Nikkei 225 and 20.5% for the Nasdaq 100. The rally was driven by semiconductor stocks, indicating strong sector momentum and improved investor appetite for Korean equities. The article is primarily a performance and flow story rather than a company-specific catalyst.