Last Trading Day of 2025 Sees Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix Hit Record Highs, KOSPI Gains 75%

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix Reach Historic New Highs

On the final trading day of 2025, December 30th, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix hit all-time highs, wrapping up a strong year for the Korean stock market. During the day, Samsung broke the 120,000 won mark for the first time ever, closing up 0.33% at 119,900 won. Meanwhile, SK Hynix finished at 651,000 won, up 1.72%, setting a new record high for the company.

This year, both semiconductor giants delivered incredible returns. Samsung gained 124.5% since the start of the year, while SK Hynix soared by 279.09%. This surge is largely thanks to the recovery in the memory chip industry during the second half of the year.

KOSPI Hits New Highs, Achieves Top Global Returns

The KOSPI index closed at 4,214.17 on December 30th, marking a 75.66% gain for the year. That’s among the best performances worldwide, and it’s the highest annual return since the dot-com bubble in 1999, which saw an 82.8% increase.

Earlier in the day, the KOSPI reached as high as 4,226.36, flirting with a record high, but profit-taking pulled it back slightly. The index ended the day down 6.39 points, or 0.15%, from the previous close.

Market Participation: Who’s Buying and Selling

On December 30th, foreign investors and institutions sold off a combined 8.87 trillion won ($6.7 billion), while individual investors bought nearly 8.2 trillion won ($6.2 billion), providing some support to the market.

The tech-heavy KOSDAQ index rose 7.12 points, or 0.76%, to close at 925.47.

Semiconductor Industry Recovery and Policy Boosts

The rally in Samsung and SK Hynix was mainly driven by the industry’s recovery in memory chip demand. Additionally, positive news from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) helped boost sentiment. The BIS announced it would reduce restrictions on exports of manufacturing equipment to Korean chipmakers’ Chinese factories, approving annual equipment shipments instead of strict end-user restrictions.

Looking Ahead: Key Stock Market Dates for 2026

After the market holiday on December 31st, the Korean stock market will reopen on January 2nd, kicking off the new trading year.