The number of South Korean-listed companies with a market capitalization exceeding 1 trillion won ($679.7 million) has surpassed 400 for the first time this year. Data from the Korea Exchange revealed that as of Wednesday, there were 405 companies listed on the local bourse with market capitalization over 1 trillion won. Among these, 267 were on the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), 137 on the tech-heavy KOSDAQ, and one on KONEX, the local exchange for small and medium-sized enterprises and venture firms.
This surge includes 79 firms with a market capitalization exceeding 10 trillion won, signifying a significant increase from the 377 companies recorded on February 27, just before the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran. South Korea’s stock market has experienced a bullish trend recently, driven by a resurgence in artificial intelligence (AI) investments ahead of the corporate earnings season. Despite a 12 percent drop in a single session during the conflict, the benchmark KOSPI closed at a record high of 6,690.9 points on Wednesday.
In other news, South Korea is actively participating in a U.S. conference focusing on ship and offshore technologies this week. The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) announced that they, along with the industry ministry, will showcase 12 domestic companies specializing in ship-related technology at the Offshore Technology Conference 2026 (OTC) in Houston, Texas, from Monday to Thursday. The OTC, a premier global event on offshore technology and energy, is anticipated to host around 1,300 companies from over 100 countries and attract over 30,000 attendees.
