[KOSPI Market Closing] Gains 1.23% with Foreign and Institutional Investment

# South Korean Equities Surge Over 1% Amid Robust Foreign and Institutional Buying South Korea's benchmark KOSPI index climbed significantly, closing over 1% higher on Tuesday, fueled by substantial buying from foreign and institutional investors. Analysts pointed to bullish sentiment driven by positive U.S.-China trade negotiations and a resurgence in semiconductor-focused investment strategies as key factors. According to the Korea Exchange data from November 14, the KOSPI index ended the session with a 1.23% increase, closing at 2,640.57. It opened at 2,625.36, a 0.65% rise from the previous session's close, and maintained its upward trajectory throughout the day. Vigorous buying activity from foreign and institutional investors was the main catalyst behind the surge. On the main board, individual investors offloaded shares worth 1.02 trillion won. However, foreign investors and institutions counteracted this selling pressure by purchasing a net 470.5 billion won and 534.5 billion won, respectively, bolstering the index's rise. Within KOSPI’s top-cap stocks, SK Hynix led the gainers with a 3.78% increase. Other significant performers were Hanwha Aerospace (up 1.99%) and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (up 1.59%). Key bellwether companies such as Samsung Electronics (up 0.88%), LG Energy Solution (up 0.48%), Samsung Biologics (up 0.50%), Hyundai Motor (up 0.20%), Samsung Electronics preferred shares (up 0.53%), and KB Financial Group (up 0.86%) also saw gains. In contrast, Kia dropped 1.39%, with POSCO Future M and POSCO International declining 4.25% and 2.78%, respectively, which limited the index's overall advance. # KOSDAQ Gains Ground on Strong Foreign and Institutional Demand Similarly, the tech-heavy KOSDAQ index followed suit, rising by 0.98% to close at 739.05. Once again, buying by foreign and institutional investors played a crucial role in offsetting the selling by individual investors. Individual investors sold a net 85.8 billion won in the secondary market, while foreign and institutional investors bought 47.3 billion won and 60.9 billion won, respectively. On the KOSDAQ, Rainbow Robotics emerged as the standout performer, skyrocketing 10.91%. Other notable gainers included PharmaResearch (up 6.41%), EcoPro BM (up 0.61%), and Hugel (up 0.58%). However, several stocks faced challenges, with Alteogen falling 3.74%, Peptron down 4.73%, LegoChem Biosciences slipping 1.40%, Classys decreasing 0.46%, and EcoPro dipping 0.11%. # South Korean Won Weakens Against U.S. Dollar In the foreign exchange market, the South Korean won slightly weakened against the U.S. dollar. The won-dollar exchange rate closed at 1,420.2 won, marking an increase of 4.2 won from the previous session's rate of 1,416.0 won. Investors remain vigilant, closely monitoring global trade developments and trends in the semiconductor market, as these factors continue to influence South Korean equity market movements.