Korea's brokerages are raking it in. Their stocks aren't. - The Korea Times

Seoul's financial district of Yeouido / Korea Times file

Korean brokerage stocks should be having their moment as trading booms, earnings head for another record and the broader market rallies. Instead, investors are chasing semiconductor shares and questioning whether trading value has already peaked, leaving brokerages stuck on the sidelines.

According to the Korea Exchange (KRX) on Friday, the KRX Securities Index jumped 59.82 percent in the first quarter, outperforming both KOSPI and the KRX Semiconductor Index, which gained 40.65 percent.

The rally has since faded. Since April, the securities gauge has trailed the broader market, falling 10.69 percent in the second quarter. The KRX Semiconductor Index, by contrast, has surged 100.36 percent.

The weakness contrasts with robust trading activity.