The main stock market KOSPI has surpassed 9,000 for the first time. Staff at Korea Exchange headquarters in Busan's Nam-gu District on June 18 posing for a photo at a celebratory ceremony. (Yonhap News)

By Aisylu Akhmetzianova

The main stock price index KOSPI has surpassed 9,000 for the first time.

The Korea Exchange on June 18 said the market closed at 9,063.84.

Opening at 8,884.92, the index soared past 9,000 during trading, reaching as high as 9,106.07 shortly before closing 199.60 points (2.25%) higher from the previous session.

Foreign investors led the surge with net buying of KRW 1.27 trillion. Individuals (KRW 375.3 billion) and institutions (KRW 777.9 billion) were net sellers.

The KOSPI's market cap hit a record KRW 7,413 trillion, good for seventh in the world as of June 17.

From January to June, the index posted a gain of 115.1% to top the Group of 20 leading and emerging economies. Japan was second with a 39% jump, followed by Turkiye (Turkey) with 28%.

The exchange said, "Driven by continued growth in demand for memory semiconductors resulting from expanded investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure worldwide, the electric and electronics sector—centered on semiconductors—led the stock market rally."

aisylu@korea.kr