KOSPI Smashes Records Above 4,550 as Hyundai's Atlas Robot Ignites Auto and Tech Rally

The South Korean stock market just shattered its ceiling. On January 7, 2026, the benchmark KOSPI surged to an all-time high, briefly crossing the 4,600-point threshold during intraday trading. According to Yonhap, the index closed at 4,551.06, up 25.58 points (0.57%), marking its fourth consecutive day of gains fueled by a powerful tech and automotive rally.

Hyundai’s Humanoid ‘Atlas’ Steals the Show at CES

The day's biggest winner was Hyundai Motor, which skyrocketed 13.8% to close at 350,500 won. Investor sentiment was electrified by the successful demonstration of the humanoid robot Atlas by Boston Dynamics (owned by Hyundai) at the CES 2026 tech show. This move signaled a major leap for the automaker into the robotics and AI space.

Semiconductor giants also pushed the index higher. Samsung Electronics rose 1.51% to 141,000 won, while SK hynix jumped 2.2% to 742,000 won. Analyst Lee Jae-won from Shinhan Securities noted that record gains in autos, chips, and shipbuilding were the primary catalysts for the historic session.

Foreign Net Buying Hits 1.25 Trillion Won

Foreign investors were the dominant force, snapping up a net 1.25 trillion won ($864 million) worth of stocks. This massive influx easily offset selling by institutional and retail investors, who offloaded 938.95 billion won and 294.59 billion won, respectively. Meanwhile, the Korean won weakened slightly against the greenback, closing at 1,445.80.

In the bond market, yields declined. The yield on the benchmark three-year Treasury fell by 3.8 basis points to 2.910%, while the five-year bond yield dropped 5.9 basis points to 3.185%.