South Korea’s Kospi reached a new record high on Thursday, reflecting the upward momentum observed on US Market, while various Asian markets resumed trading following the Lunar New Year holiday. The Kospi index surged over 3% to achieve a new record high, closing at 5,677.25, driven by significant gains in major constituents Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which rose by 4.86% and 1.59%, respectively. The South Korean won depreciated approximately 0.2%, trading at around 1,446.3 per dollar.

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol received a life sentence on Thursday, following a court ruling that deemed him guilty of orchestrating an insurrection during his failed effort to impose martial law in December 2024. “After nearly doubling in 2025, Korea is again the leading market in Asia Pacific,” Goldman Sachs noted in a recent communication. “Although numerous investors are inquiring whether they ought to decrease their positions following such robust performance, we believe it remains premature to make such a decision.”

The investment bank anticipates a 120% increase in earnings for Korean equity markets in 2026, following a 36% rise in 2025. The small-cap Kosdaq experienced an increase of nearly 5%, concluding the trading session at 1,160.71. Australia’s benchmark index experienced an increase of 0.88%, concluding the trading session at 9,086.2. Japan’s Nikkei 225 increased by 0.57% to 57,467.83, whereas the Topix advanced by 1.18% to 3,852.09. The markets in Hong Kong and mainland China are currently closed in observance of the Lunar New Year holiday.

Overnight in the U.S., the S&P 500 advanced, buoyed by increases in prominent technology firms, as market participants assessed the release of the minutes from the Federal Reserve’s latest policy meeting. The broad-based index increased by 0.56%, concluding at 6,881.31, whereas the Nasdaq Composite rose by 0.78%, finishing at 22,753.63. The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 0.26%, concluding the session at 49,662.66.