KOSPI gains 183 points as chip rebound lifts shares
Published on 10/21/2026 at 13:16 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSChip rebound drives Seoul shares
- KOSPI closed at 5,736 points on October 21, up 183 points or 3.3 percent.
- Super Micro's USD 19 billion revenue estimate eased concerns about AI spending.
- SK Corp. was the top named gainer, rising 12.6 percent.
- The Bank of Korea decides its policy rate on October 22 at 10:00 a.m. KST.
KOSPI closed at 5,736 points on October 21, gaining 183 points or 3.3 percent. Better-than-expected results from Super Micro Computer eased concerns about the profitability of artificial intelligence investment, according to Yonhap News Agency.
SK Corp. rose 12.6 percent, while Samsung Electronics gained 5.7 percent. The rebound followed a sharp selloff on October 20, but market breadth stayed weak, with 487 decliners against 372 advancers.
Why did KOSPI rebound on October 21?
Semiconductor shares led the recovery after Super Micro Computer reported preliminary quarterly revenue of USD 19 billion, above the USD 15 billion market expectation. Samsung Electronics rose 5.7 percent and SK hynix advanced 5.8 percent, helping the index recover after the previous session's 3.7 percent drop.
The Korea Exchange activated a buy-side sidecar at 10:51 a.m. KST after KOSPI 200 futures rose more than 5 percent. Program buying was suspended for five minutes, Yonhap News Agency reported.
Winners and losers in KOSPI
Named winners and losers at the October 21 close included the following stocks, with figures from Yonhap News Agency and Aju Press:
- SK Corp. up 12.6 percent: the holding company recovered after a nearly 8 percent fall in the previous session.
- LS Electric up 7.0 percent: better-than-expected third-quarter earnings supported by AI data-center demand.
- LIG D&A down 9.0 percent: South Korea's arms procurement agency imposed a two-year bidding ban.
- LG Energy Solution down 0.6 percent: the battery maker lagged the semiconductor-led advance.
Medical and precision instruments rose 5.4 percent, while electrical and electronic products gained 5.0 percent. Metals fell 1.9 percent and telecommunications declined 1.7 percent.
KOSPI opens strongly and retreats from its high
KOSPI opened at 5,666 points and reached a session high of 5,816 points before ending at 5,736 points. The benchmark's advance remained concentrated in large-cap technology shares. The Korean won strengthened to 1,325.2 won per USD at 3:30 p.m. KST, according to Yonhap News Agency.
What comes next for KOSPI?
- October 22, 2026, 10:00 a.m. KST: The Bank of Korea announces its policy decision. A survey cited by Seoul Economic Daily found that 95 percent of respondents expected the benchmark rate to remain at 3.00 percent.
- October 22, 2026, 9:30 p.m. KST: U.S. initial and continuing jobless claims are scheduled, followed by the September leading economic index at 11:00 p.m. KST, according to Stockhub.
KOSPI price data for October 21, 2026
KOSPI closed at 5,736 points on October 21, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. KST, according to Aju Press. It gained 183 points or 3.3 percent from the previous close of 5,553 points. The index opened at 5,666 points and reached a high of 5,816 points.
KOSPI by the numbers on October 21, 2026
- Index: KOSPI
- Home exchange: Korea Exchange, South Korea
- Close on October 21, 2026: 5,736 points
- Change versus previous close of October 20, 2026: up 183 points (up 3.3 percent)
- Previous close: 5,553 points
- Open: 5,666 points
- Day high: 5,816 points
- Top gainer: SK Corp. up 12.6 percent
- Top loser: LIG D&A down 9.0 percent
- Next scheduled event: October 22, 2026, 10:00 a.m. KST: Bank of Korea policy decision
