The KOSPI jumped 1.55% to close at 2,856 on Monday, its highest in nearly eleven months, boosted by hopes of a new US–South Korea tariff deal.
Investor sentiment improved after Presidents Trump and Lee Jae-myung agreed to start negotiations aimed at reducing trade tensions and creating a fairer agreement.
The move is expected to benefit Korea’s key export industries such as semiconductors, autos, and shipbuilding.
On the corporate front, key gainers included SK Hynix (2.12%), Samsung Electronics (1.10%), Hyundai Motor (4.11%), and KB Financial Group (3.29%), while LG Energy Solution (-1.72%) and Hanwha Aerospace (-2.76%) posted losses.
The possibility of reduced tariffs and stronger economic ties with the U.S. lifted market confidence, particularly in tech and manufacturing, reinforcing a positive outlook for Korea’s export-oriented economy.