South Korean Stocks Hit 100% Gains for 2026, Echoing Dotcom Era
By Aboki Forex —
South Korea’s stock market is on a record-breaking tear. The benchmark Kospi index has surged 100% so far in 2026, matching the wild run of the Nasdaq 100 just before the dotcom bubble burst in 1999.
The rally has been supercharged by memory chip giants SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics. Their advances have pushed the Kospi from 5,000 to 8,000 in just a few months. On Wednesday alone, the index jumped as much as 5.1%.
This performance rivals the Nasdaq 100’s 102% gain in 1999. That year ended with the dotcom crash. But few analysts are sounding alarms for Korea this time.
They point to a structural shift in global demand for memory chips. Instead of the old boom-and-bust cycle, demand is now seen as an enduring growth trend. For now, investors are betting the rally has more room to run.