South Korea’s Kosdaq closed 5.6% higher on Wednesday, back above 700 after setting off a buy sidecar for a second day running. The main KOSPI turned around from a weaker open to finish up 2.6%, shrugging off hotter-than-expected US inflation data.
MoneyTurkey Foreign Markets Desk | 11 November 2026 | Updated after the Seoul close
Key points
- The Kosdaq closed up 37.49 points, or 5.62%, at 705.10.
- Korea Exchange halted program buy orders on the Kosdaq for five minutes from 11:28 Seoul time, after Kosdaq 150 futures rose 6.06% to 1,158.60.
- The KOSPI closed up 136.23 points, or 2.6%, at 5,375.36 after opening 0.56% lower, its second straight gain.
- Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.31% and Taiwan’s Taiex jumped 3.62% to reclaim 44,000.
A second sidecar in two days
The Kosdaq gained 37.49 points to 705.10 at the close, according to Yonhap and Maeil Business Newspaper. It had pushed past 700 late in the morning, Yonhap and Money Today reported.
The sidecar, a five-minute pause on program buy orders, kicks in when the Kosdaq 150 futures price is up 6% or more and the Kosdaq 150 index is up 3% or more for a full minute. It was the second buy sidecar on the Kosdaq in two days, after both Seoul markets triggered one early on Tuesday, according to Yonhap and Maeil Business Newspaper.
Institutions were the only net buyers on the Kosdaq, while individuals and foreign investors sold, Maeil Business Newspaper reported. Battery materials makers Ecopro and Ecopro BM were among the biggest gainers.
KOSPI turns around
The KOSPI opened 0.56% lower but closed up 2.6% at 5,375.36, near its intraday high of 5,377.99, after Tuesday’s 4.39% jump, according to Yonhap and Maeil Business Newspaper.
Chip stocks led the turn. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix closed higher as worries about the payoff from artificial intelligence spending eased, with Maeil Business Newspaper pointing to CoreWeave’s results, hopes around Anthropic’s planned listing and strong exports. Foreign investors were net buyers on the KOSPI.
The gains came despite a soft night on Wall Street, where the Nasdaq fell 0.74% after US consumer prices rose more than expected in October and raised talk of further Federal Reserve rate rises, Yonhap reported.
Elsewhere in Asia
Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.31% to 61,248.59, its third straight gain, as SoftBank Group recovered from early selling after its first-half loss, according to Nikkei and Jiji Press. Taiwan’s Taiex climbed 3.62% to 44,257.15, led by TSMC, according to Economic Daily News and the Taiwan Stock Exchange.
What to watch
- Whether the Kosdaq can hold 700 after two sidecar sessions in a row
- Foreign investor flows, which split between the KOSPI and the Kosdaq on Wednesday
- Further Fed comments on a possible larger December rate rise
For information only. Not investment advice.
Sources
- Yonhap News Agency (Korean): Kosdaq closes up 37.49 points at 705.10
- Yonhap News Agency (Korean): KOSPI closes up 136.23 points at 5,375.36
- Yonhap News Agency: Seoul shares rise for 2nd day on tech rally amid rate hike woes
- Maeil Business Newspaper (Korean): KOSPI up 2.6%, Kosdaq up 5.6% despite US big-step worries
- Yonhap News Agency (Korean): Kosdaq triggers buy sidecar for second straight day
- Money Today (Korean): Kosdaq buy sidecar, back above 700
- KBS News (Korean): KOSPI and Kosdaq close, 10 November
- Nikkei (Japanese): Nikkei average rises for third day, closes 789 yen higher
- Jiji Press (Japanese): Nikkei average closes at 61,248.59
- Economic Daily News (Chinese): Taiwan stocks close up 1,545 points, back above 44,000
- Taiwan Stock Exchange: Taiex daily history, November 2026
- Yahoo Finance market data: Taiex history
