South Korea's KOSPI Index Surges 143.5% to 6,747 as Retail Investors Pour 108 Trillion Won Since January

According to Financial News, South Korea's KOSPI index surged 143.5% from 2,770.84 on June 4 last year to 6,747.95 on July 21, reflecting government policy focus and retail investor enthusiasm. The benchmark reached 9,385.59 intraday on June 19, representing a 3.4x gain from the post-election low. Political figures have publicly backed higher targets, with Democratic Party officials expressing hopes for KOSPI 10,000.

Retail investors drove market activity, posting net purchases of 108.2 trillion won from January 2 to July 21, while foreign investors net-sold 160.4 trillion won over the same period. Single-stock leveraged ETFs on Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, launched May 27, drew significant retail trading amid market volatility.