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  Semiconductor rally lifts KOSPI to fresh record as SK hynix tops 900,000 won SEOUL, January 30 (AJP) – Asian equities opened higher on Friday, with South Korean stocks leading the way. The KOSPI extended its rally to another intraday record, with SK hynix breaking above a new milestone. SK hynix shares climbed for a fourth straight session on Friday, breaking above the 900,000-won mark for the first time on record. As of 9:58 a.m. Seoul time, the stock was trading up 6.85 percent at 920,000 won. Improved investor sentiment followed its record ea January 30, 2026
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  Seoul stays on U.S. currency monitoring list, FX intervention "broadly symmetrical" SEOUL, January 30 (AJP) -South Korea remained on the U.S. Treasury Department’s currency Monitoring List in its latest semiannual report, on widened external surpluses and sizeable bilateral trade imbalance with the United States, while finding the Korean won's weakness "not in line with" the country's "strong fundamentals. In its January 2026 Report to Congress on the Macroeconomic and Foreign Exchange Policies of Major Trading Partners of the United January 30, 2026
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  Asian shares struggle for direction amid Fed signals, Middle East tensions SEOUL, January 29 (AJP) - Asian markets closed mixed on Thursday as investors struggled to find direction amid conflicting signals from corporate earnings, central bank policy and rising geopolitical tensions, a combination that kept volatility elevated across the region. Currency markets reflected the uncertainty. The South Korean won was quoted at 1,428.9 per dollar at 4:40 p.m., down 4.6 won from the previous close. While the won pared earlier losses as the U.S. dollar weakened January 29, 2026
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  Asian equities swing flat in post-FOMC early trade; KOSDAQ unfazed SEOUL, January 29 (AJP) - Asian equities traded unevenly in early Thursday sessions following the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) decision, with key indices swinging between gains and losses as investors struggled to digest a flood of corporate earnings alongside a renewed rebound in the U.S. dollar. The previous rally in South Korea and Taiwan gave way to choppy, directionless trading, while mainland China and Japan remained clouded by uncertainty, making it difficult for in January 29, 2026
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  KOSPI Tops 5,200 for First Time South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI index topped 5,200 points for the first time, extending a rally into a third straight session after closing above 5,000 on Jan. 27. According to the Korea Exchange, the index rose 2.61 points, or 1.40%, from the previous session to trade at 5,243.42 shortly after the open, pushing past the 5,200 mark.* This article has been translated by AI. January 29, 2026
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  South Korea’s Kospi Opens Up 1.40% to 5,243.42; Kosdaq Rises 1.76% South Korea’s Kospi opened up 72.61 points, or 1.40%, at 5,243.42. The Kosdaq opened up 19.91 points, or 1.76%, at 1,153.43.* This article has been translated by AI. January 29, 2026
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  SK Securities Raises Samsung C&T Target Price on Earnings, Shareholder Returns Outlook SK Securities said Wednesday it raised its target price for Samsung C&T to 370,000 won from 350,000 won, citing improving results and the likelihood of stronger shareholder returns. It maintained its “buy” rating. Choi Kwan Soon, an analyst at SK Securities, said Samsung C&T’s revenue fell 3.2% last year, but the firm forecasts revenue of 44.5 trillion won this year, up 9.3%. He said the goal is achievable given rising orders in the construction unit’s high-tech segment and higher utiliza January 29, 2026
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  South Korean Investor Deposits Top 100 Trillion Won for First Time as Stocks Rally South Korea’s stock market surge has pushed investor deposits above 100 trillion won for the first time. The Korea Financial Investment Association said investor deposits totaled 100.2826 trillion won as of Jan. 27. That is up 12.4535 trillion won from 87.8291 trillion won at the end of last year. Investor deposits are funds clients keep at brokerage firms to trade stocks, funds and other investment products. Because the money can move into the market at any time, it is treated as stan January 29, 2026
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  Heungkuk Securities Raises Hyundai Mobis Target on Electronics, Robotics Shift Heungkuk Securities said Wednesday that Hyundai Mobis’ fourth-quarter results met market expectations and that recovering tariff-related costs has reduced uncertainty, while its business shift toward automotive electronics and robotics continues. The brokerage raised its target price to 540,000 won from 500,000 won and kept its “buy” rating. Hyundai Mobis posted fourth-quarter revenue of 15.4 trillion won and operating profit of 930.5 billion won. Revenue rose 4.7% from a year earlier, w January 29, 2026
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  Hanwha Investment Keeps Hold on LG H&H, Cuts Target Price to 230,000 Won Hanwha Investment & Securities on Wednesday advised a cautious approach to LG Household & Health Care until its sales decline reverses, keeping its “hold” rating. It cut its target price to 230,000 won from 300,000 won. Analyst Han Yu Jeong said the company’s consolidated operating profit for the fourth quarter of 2025 was minus 72.7 billion won, far below the consensus estimate of 4.2 billion won, citing weakness across its Beauty, HDB and Refreshment divisions. On news of LG H& January 29, 2026