Oct 27, 2025 – KOSPI clears the 4,000 level for the first time since 1983, surging over 70% year‑to‑date and outpacing the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, a milestone that fuels expectations of continued AI‑driven rally and market reforms[24].

Dec 8, 2025 – KOSPI gains 1.34% to 4,154.85 ahead of the U.S. Federal Open Market Committee meeting, with foreign investors net buying 321.3 billion won while locals sell, and traders watch Oracle and Broadcom earnings for tech cues[29].

Dec 14, 2025 – KOSPI opens 2.09% lower at 4,080.01 as renewed AI‑bubble worries hit large caps, and President Trump signals former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh as his top Fed‑chair candidate, saying Warsh “largely agrees” with his rate‑cut stance[28].

Dec 15, 2025 – KOSPI falls 1.84% to 4,090.59 amid AI profitability concerns, with Samsung Electronics down 3.76% and SK hynix down 2.98%, while the won strengthens to 1,471 per dollar and bond yields drop, reflecting broader market risk‑off[27].

Dec 16, 2025 – KOSPI closes below 4,000 at 3,999.13, dropping 2.24% as investors await U.S. payroll data and AI sector risks, while analyst Lee Kyoung‑min warns of heightened volatility and retail investors buy 1.3 trillion won amid foreign outflows[26].

Dec 17, 2025 – KOSPI opens 1.33% lower at 4,002.6 as AI fears spread after a primary investor pulls out of Oracle’s data‑center project, with Samsung slipping 0.65% and the won strengthening to 1,478.5 per dollar[25].

Dec 25, 2025 – President Lee Jae Myung pledges to push the KOSPI above 5,000 through market‑transparency reforms and a third round of Commercial Act amendments, while the won weakens to around 1,483.6 per dollar, raising FX‑risk concerns[24].

Dec 26, 2025 – Santa‑rally optimism lifts KOSPI 0.56% to 4,131.59, driven by Samsung Electronics (+2.88%) and SK hynix (+1.02%), as the U.S. VIX falls to 13.4 and Wall Street posts modest gains[23].

Dec 30, 2025 – President Lee schedules a four‑day state visit to China (Jan 4‑7) to discuss strategic cooperation, while the KOSPI ends 2025 at 4,214.17, up 75.7% from Jan 2, marking the strongest annual return since the dot‑com bubble[22].

Jan 2, 2026 (opening) – KOSPI opens 0.59% higher at 4,238.83, with Samsung Electronics up 2.59% and SK hynix up 0.92%, as retail investors offset foreign selling and the won trades around 1,441 won per dollar[21].

Jan 2, 2026 (mid‑morning) – KOSPI rises 1.1% to 4,260.55, led by Samsung (+3.67%) and SK hynix (+2.3%), while LG Energy Solution and LG Chem fall, and the won weakens to 1,442.75 per dollar[20].

Jan 2, 2026 (close) – KOSPI closes at an all‑time high of 4,309.63, a 2.27% gain powered by chip mega‑caps—Samsung jumps 7.17% and SK hynix rises 3.99%—as exports hit a 2025 record $709.7 billion and analysts Kim Yong‑gu says the index should trade “neutral‑to‑positive”[19].

Jan 2, 2026 (record high) – KOSPI hits a fresh record of 4,309.63, while President Lee and Chinese President Xi prepare a Beijing summit on peace and denuclearisation, a police task force launches a Coupang probe, a T‑50 trainer lands safely, and North Korea unveils a submarine hull, underscoring geopolitical undercurrents[18].

Jan 4, 2026 – Foreign ownership of KOSPI reaches a five‑year high of 32.9% as foreigners buy a net 3.5 trillion won in December, with SK hynix and Samsung each surpassing 50% foreign stakes, reflecting strong chip‑demand optimism[17].

Jan 5, 2026 – KOSPI sets a new record at 4,457.52, up 3.43%, as Samsung Electronics surges 7.47% to a six‑year high and technology shares drive broad gains, while the won weakens to 1,443.80 per dollar[16].

Jan 6, 2026 – KOSPI tops 4,500 at 4,525.48, driven by semiconductor, brokerage and shipbuilder gains, while the mother of a late Coupang worker testifies before police, a joint probe targets church‑politician bribery, budget‑minister nominee Lee consults fiscal experts, First Lady Kim visits a Beijing school, and Samsung co‑CEO Roh Tae‑moon pledges a manufacturing‑automation robotics push[15].

Jan 7, 2026 – KOSPI closes at an all‑time high of 4,551.06 after briefly topping 4,600, with Hyundai Motor soaring 13.8% following Boston Dynamics’ Atlas demo at CES, foreign investors net buying 1.25 trillion won, and shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries gaining on high‑end orders[14].

Jan 16, 2026 (Yoon sentencing) – Former President Yoon Suk Yeol receives a five‑year prison term for obstruction tied to his 2024 martial‑law declaration, marking the first conviction of a former Korean president, while a Seoul bus crash injures 13 and the Guryong fire displaces about 200 residents[11].

Jan 16, 2026 (market) – KOSPI hits a record 4,840.74, extending an 11‑session rally as semiconductor stocks lead, market cap exceeds 4,000 trillion won, foreign investors buy 405 billion won and institutions add 338.5 billion won, and analysts cite Samsung’s earnings outlook as the rally’s engine[12].

Jan 16, 2026 (politics) – President Lee schedules a bipartisan luncheon with ruling DP, opposition PPP and minor parties to rebuild cross‑party cooperation, while K‑pop album exports top $300 million in 2025 and North Korea plans large youth events ahead of its party congress[13].

Jan 19, 2026 – KOSPI closes above 4,900 at 4,904.66, a historic first, as budget‑minister nominee Lee Hye‑rae faces a party‑clash over a confirmation hearing, ex‑floor leader Kim Byung‑kee quits the DP over bribery allegations, and BTS’s agency Hybe applies for a central‑Seoul comeback show slated for late March[10].

Jan 26, 2026 – KOSPI slips 0.48% to 4,966.03 amid Iran‑unrest concerns, while the KOSDAQ surges over 5% despite a program‑buying pause, Samsung edges up 0.33% and SK hynix falls 1.96%, and the won strengthens to 1,441.5 per dollar[9].

Jan 27, 2026 – KOSPI closes above 5,000 for the first time at 5,084.85, driven by record‑high Samsung (+4.87%) and SK hynix (+8.7%) shares, even as President Trump’s tariff warning briefly dents the won, and three‑year bond yields ease to 3.094%[8].

Jan 28, 2026 – KOSPI jumps 1.65% to 5,168.72 in opening minutes after President Trump pledges to “work something out” on a trade deal, with chipmakers Samsung (+1.94%) and SK hynix (+1.88%) leading, Hanwha Aerospace adding 3.74% on a $1.9 billion rocket contract, and the won strengthening to 1,433.5 per dollar[7].

Jan 29, 2026 – KOSPI reaches 5,221.25, a fresh peak, on strong earnings from major firms, retail investors net buying 1.6 trillion won, the KOSDAQ climbs over 20% since Dec 30, and the won weakens to 1,426.3 per dollar despite a weaker currency[6].

Feb 2, 2026 (early trade) – KOSPI slides 1.05% to 5,169.36 in the first 15 minutes as the Fed chair nomination triggers risk‑aversion, gold and silver plunge over 10% and 30% respectively, Microsoft misses cloud revenue, Hanwha Aerospace is the sole gainer, and the won weakens to 1,449.5 per dollar[5].

Feb 2, 2026 (mid‑day) – KOSPI drops 5.26% to 4,949.67 after the Fed chair nomination, prompting a five‑minute sell‑side circuit breaker, foreign investors pull out 2.5 trillion won, gold hits its 10% floor limit, top caps tumble, financial stocks gain, and the won falls to 1,464.3 per dollar[4].

Feb 2, 2026 (later) – KOSPI falls over 5% to 4,949.67 as the Fed chair nomination fuels risk‑aversion, Prime Minister Kim Min‑seok reports progress on U.S. tariff talks via a direct line with Vice President JD Vance, “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters wins a Grammy, former first lady Kim Keon Hee files an appeal, and Canada’s defense procurement chief inspects Hanwha’s submarine shipyard[3].

Feb 2, 2026 (night) – Korean dailies report a “Warsh shock” that drives the KOSPI below 5,000 in a coordinated strike, while Democratic Party factions clash over a merger, real‑estate mogul Lee pours money into property, small merchants protest Dubai chewy cookies, and vacant public housing persists for a year[2].

Feb 3, 2026 – KOSPI surges 4.68% to 5,181.41, triggering a five‑minute buy‑side circuit breaker, with Samsung (+6.58%) and SK hynix (+7.83%) leading gains, the won strengthening to 1,448.8 per dollar, U.S. market cues lifting sentiment, and investors closely watching the Fed chair nomination and trade‑tension developments[1].