KOSPI rebounds sharply as retail investors snap up battered stocks

Mar 06, 2026, 08:52 am

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A dealer works in the dealing room of Hana Bank’s headquarters in Jung District, Seoul, on March 5 as the KOSPI surged in early trading and briefly touched the 5,700 mark. The benchmark index opened at 5,250.92, up 157.38 points (3.09%) from the previous session. The won-dollar exchange rate fell 12.2 won to 1,464.0, while the KOSDAQ opened at 1,023.84, up 45.40 points (4.64%). / Yonhap

South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI index rebounded sharply on March 5, recovering much of its recent losses as bargain hunters stepped in following two days of steep declines triggered by Middle East tensions.

According to the Korea Exchange, the KOSPI closed at 5,583.90, up 490.36 points, or 9.63%, from the previous session. The market had plunged nearly 20% over the previous two trading days amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran, falling to as low as 5,093.54.

The strong rebound was largely driven by heavy buying in previously battered semiconductor stocks.

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix — the country’s two largest chipmakers — surged 11.27% and 10.84%, respectively, leading the broader market recovery. Automakers also rebounded strongly, with Hyundai Motor rising 9.38% and Kia climbing 6.19%, recouping much of their earlier losses.

Retail investors played a key role in the rally. Individual investors posted net purchases worth 1.7964 trillion won, while foreign investors and institutions recorded net sales of 144.5 billion won and 1.7187 trillion won, respectively.

Market analysts said the recent plunge had been largely driven by short-term geopolitical risk, prompting bargain buying in oversold stocks.

However, they cautioned that volatility could persist for some time depending on developments in the Middle East and movements in global financial markets.

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