South Korean stocks post second-best month and overtake UK market value
Updated
Updated · MarketWatch · Apr 30
South Korean stocks post second-best month and overtake UK market value
8 articles · Updated · MarketWatch · Apr 30
The Kospi rose 31% in April to $4.2 trillion in market capitalisation, topping the UK's $3.9 trillion and making South Korea the world's eighth-largest stock market.
The index is now up 57% this year, led by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix as AI-driven memory-chip demand outstrips supply across high-end and traditional DRAM markets.
Investors also cite Seoul's corporate-governance "value-up" programme, while some fund managers are expanding into energy and electrical equipment stocks tied to AI data-centre demand.
Beyond AI chips, can South Korea's defense and energy sectors thrive amid rising global instability?
Can the AI boom's economic momentum outweigh the shock of a major global energy crisis?
As AI drives both GDP growth and job losses, what is its true net effect on the global economy?
How will the UAE's surprise exit from OPEC reshape the global energy landscape amid the conflict?
How sustainable is the US naval blockade of Iran without the support of key international allies?
Will central banks be forced to choose between controlling inflation and preventing a global recession?