On the morning of February 12, 2026, the South Korean stock market made headlines as the KOSPI index shattered previous records, opening at 5,425.39 points—a 1.32% jump that saw the benchmark crossing the 5,400 mark for the very first time. By 9:07 AM, the index hovered at 5,420.35, up 1.23%, signaling a bullish start that left traders and analysts abuzz. This surge followed a strong finish the previous day, when the KOSPI closed at 5,354.49, up 52.80 points or 1.00% from the prior session, according to News1.
Driving much of the enthusiasm were heavyweight technology stocks. Samsung Electronics, a bellwether for the Korean market, rose 2.26% to 171,600 KRW, while SK Hynix surged 2.91% to 885,000 KRW. The gains were not limited to these two giants—Samsung Electronics preferred shares climbed 1.16%, SK Square jumped 4.89%, LG Energy Solution advanced 1.91%, and Samsung Biologics edged up 0.29%. However, not all blue chips shared in the rally: Hyundai Motor slipped 1.18%, KIA remained unchanged, KB Financial dipped 0.36%, and Doosan Enerbility fell 2.41%.
Much of the positive sentiment on February 12 was traced back to Wall Street, where the US memory chip company Micron saw its shares rocket up 10% overnight. This dramatic move reverberated across the Pacific, fueling optimism among Korean investors. According to Opinion News, Mark Murphy, Micron’s Chief Financial Officer, sought to calm the market by stating, "Contrary to rumors, HBM4 is being delivered to Nvidia without issues." This statement helped dispel concerns about supply chain hiccups and bolstered confidence in the sector.
Yet, the KOSPI’s historic leap was not solely the work of institutional or foreign investors. In fact, both groups were net sellers on the day—foreigners offloaded stocks worth 59.8 billion KRW and institutions sold 10.4 billion KRW. It was individual investors who stepped in, scooping up 63.1 billion KRW in shares and proving once again that retail participation can move markets in significant ways.
The KOSDAQ, South Korea’s tech-heavy secondary exchange, also opened strong at 1,122.55 points—a 0.69% increase. However, by 9:11 AM, it had dipped slightly by 0.14% to 1,113.3 points. The pattern of trading was similar to the main board: foreigners and institutions were net sellers, with 118.6 billion KRW and 17.8 billion KRW sold respectively, while individuals were net buyers, picking up 159.1 billion KRW worth of shares. Among the top 10 KOSDAQ stocks, Rainbow Robotics rose 1.04%, Kolon TissueGene climbed 2.67%, and Rino Industry was up 0.84%. Others, such as EcoPro (-1.25%), Alteogen (-1.04%), EcoPro BM (-0.15%), ABL Bio (-0.11%), HLB (-0.95%), and Rigachem Bio (-0.06%), saw declines.
Globally, the backdrop was more subdued. On February 11, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.13% to 50,121.4, the S&P 500 was essentially flat at 6,941.17, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 0.16% to 23,066.47. Meanwhile, in currency markets, the USD/KRW exchange rate closed at 1,450.1 KRW at 3:30 PM on February 11, down 9 KRW from the previous week’s close, reflecting a modest strengthening of the won.
Behind the scenes, the semiconductor industry was seeing its own set of developments that could shape market dynamics for months to come. At the Semicon Korea 2026 exhibition, CMTX—a key supplier of high-purity silicon parts—announced that it would significantly increase its supply to Micron, with volumes expected to rise by double digits compared to the previous year. The announcement followed a meeting between CMTX and Micron representatives at the exhibition, where mid- to long-term cooperation plans were discussed. CMTX supplies critical components like silicon rings and electrodes to Micron’s Singapore fabrication plant, and the companies are now working together on next-generation process parts and expanding supply, according to The Elec.
CMTX also revealed plans to begin full-scale supply of recycled silicon parts that had passed Micron’s stringent quality tests in the previous year. The recycled parts business, which involves rejuvenating discarded silicon components to near-new standards using proprietary purification and cleaning technologies, is expected to stabilize supply chains and help both companies meet growing demand.
Financially, CMTX’s 2025 results were impressive: consolidated revenue soared to 160.5 billion KRW and operating profit reached 51.6 billion KRW, representing year-over-year increases of approximately 48% and 118%, respectively. The company attributed these record numbers to surging demand from major global semiconductor clients and a growing share of high value-added products. Notably, operating profit growth far outpaced revenue growth, signaling a marked improvement in profitability. However, CMTX did report a net loss of 12.3 billion KRW for 2025, which it attributed to valuation losses on redeemable convertible preferred shares (RCPS) issued during earlier fundraising rounds. The company clarified that since these RCPS were converted to common stock in the first half of the previous year, similar losses are unlikely in the future.
"Micron’s production capacity expansion and CMTX’s product diversification are progressing smoothly," a CMTX representative emphasized. The company, which was ranked Micron’s top supplier last year, was also invited to the groundbreaking ceremony for Micron’s new plant in Singapore, highlighting the strength of their partnership. CMTX concluded that it expects its relationship with Micron to become even more robust, and plans to continue growing by expanding supply to major semiconductor customers worldwide.
As the sun rose over Seoul on February 12, the confluence of record-breaking stock indices, robust investor participation, and deepening industry partnerships painted a vibrant picture of South Korea’s financial and tech sectors. While global markets remained cautious, the local mood was buoyant, with both established giants and up-and-coming suppliers like CMTX looking to ride the wave of innovation and demand. For now, at least, optimism is the order of the day on the Korean exchanges.