South Korea's Kospi Closes Up 0.73% as Samsung Electronics Gains Over 4%, SK Hynix Edges Higher

TradingKey - On August 11, South Korean stocks extended their rebound, with the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closing up 0.73% at 6,345.53 points. Meanwhile, Japanese stock markets were closed for the "Mountain Day" public holiday, with trading suspended for the day.

Source: TradingView

Chip heavyweights delivered mixed performances, with Samsung Electronics emerging as a highlight, rising 4.13% to close at 239,500 won (approximately $169). Meanwhile, SK Hynix gained 0.35% to 1,425,000 won.

On the news front, SK Hynix is accelerating R&D on next-generation DRAM production technology. According to South Korean media reports, the company is advancing extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography upgrades and has begun introducing new materials such as phase-shift masks (PSM) to further improve EUV process performance.

SK Hynix pioneered the introduction of High-Numerical Aperture (High-NA) EUV equipment last year and expanded related R&D efforts this year to prepare for mass production of next-generation DRAM.

At the same time, the South Korean government is also advancing the construction of semiconductor clusters. The Blue House, South Korea's presidential office, stated that it plans to pass legislation for "super special zones" related to "three major mega-projects" within the next year. Among them, the Gwangju military airport relocation project is expected to be completed by 2028 and has been incorporated into the local semiconductor cluster plan.

As policy support and advanced process R&D progress in tandem, South Korea is further reinforcing its competitive advantage in the global semiconductor supply chain.