KOSDAQ climbs 6% as South Korea's secondary stock exchange gains

South Korea’s KOSDAQ index jumped 6%, marking another significant single-session rally for the country’s secondary stock exchange.

KOSDAQ is essentially South Korea’s answer to the Nasdaq. It’s where the country’s growth-oriented companies, particularly in technology and biotech, go to list.

A pattern of sharp moves

This isn’t the first time KOSDAQ has posted gains of this magnitude in 2026. The index has recorded intraday advances near the 6% threshold multiple times this year, with January featuring a particularly notable surge of approximately that size.

The rallies have been closely tied to one theme: AI and semiconductor stocks. South Korea’s outsized role in the global memory chip supply chain means that when demand forecasts for AI infrastructure tick upward, KOSDAQ tends to move fast and hard.