-- South Korea became the eighth-largest stock market in the world after the total market capitalization of South Korean-listed companies surged over 45% in 2026 to hit $4.04 trillion, Bloomberg News reported Tuesday.
South Korea surpassed the UK to take the spot, with the total market capitalization of UK-listed firms gaining about 3% to reach $3.99 trillion, the report said.
The surge in Korean stock prices is a result of gains made by firms related to AI, in particular, Samsung Electronics (KRX:005930) and SK Hynix (KRX:000660). These two firms make up for more than 40% of the total market capitalization of the country's primary index, the Korea Composite Stock Price Index, or Kospi, according to the report.
The surge in Korean stock prices is similar to gains in Taiwan, which overtook the UK in April to become the world's seventh-largest equity market. Taiwan's rally was driven largely by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TPE:2330), which makes up about 45% of its benchmark index. Taiwan's total market value has hit $4.48 trillion, the report said.
(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)