KOSPI is up 31% this year. KOSDAQ is down 17%. The split runs through healthcare
On 22 October the KOSPI was 31.3% above its 2025 close and the KOSDAQ 17.4% below it. Of 53 KOSPI-series indices, 34 are up for the year; of 39 KOSDAQ-series indices, 7. KOSDAQ 150 Healthcare is down 40.9%.
AI-assisted, human-reviewed sourcing. Figures are pulled programmatically from the official sources listed at the end of this article and checked by an editor before publication.
kospikosdaqkorea stocks 2026kosdaq healthcarekorea biotechyear to date
Korea has two main stock markets, and in 2026 they have gone in opposite directions.
| 22 October 2026 | Change since end of 2025 | From this year’s high |
|---|---|---|
| KOSPI | +31.3% | −39.3% (high 22 June) |
| KOSDAQ | −17.4% | −37.7% (high 27 April) |
Both have fallen hard from their highs, by similar amounts. The difference is where they started the fall from. The KOSPI rose so far in the first half that even after losing two-fifths of its value it is still well up on the year. The KOSDAQ never had that cushion.
Most KOSDAQ indices are down for the year
| Indices up for 2026 | |
|---|---|
| KOSPI series | 34 of 53 |
| KOSDAQ series | 7 of 39 |
The KOSPI’s gain is concentrated in chips, which we have shown is most of the index: KRX Semiconductor is up 77.5% for the year. The KOSDAQ has its own technology stocks, and they did well too.
Inside KOSDAQ: technology up, healthcare down
| KOSDAQ 150 sector | Since end of 2025 | Year high | From the high |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Technology | +36.6% | 12 June | −32.1% |
| Communication Services | −34.1% | 29 January | −42.0% |
| Healthcare | −40.9% | 29 January | −52.7% |
KOSDAQ’s technology stocks moved much like the KOSPI’s: up strongly, then down from June. Healthcare peaked at the end of January, five months before the chip high, and has more than halved from there.
So the two markets are not split by a “big versus small” story. On both, chips rose. Where KOSDAQ differs is in sectors such as healthcare and communication services, which peaked in January and are far below where they started the year.
What this does not say
Year-to-date numbers depend on the starting date. Measured from the June high, the two markets have done about equally badly. The KOSPI is also more than ten times the KOSDAQ by market value: 4,569 trillion won against 432 trillion on 22 October. A 1% move in the KOSPI is a far larger sum.
Korea Exchange index and stock data, 22 October 2026, collected daily by SeoulMarkets; year-to-date changes as published by KRX. Not investment advice.
Data & Verification Notes
- Data as of
- Sources
- Korea Exchange (KRX OPEN API) — Index daily data for KOSPI, KOSDAQ and KRX series: close, change since the start of the year (as published by KRX), year high and its date, 22 October 2026; KOSPI and KOSDAQ stock lists (market capitalisation, value traded), 22 October 2026. Collected daily by SeoulMarkets.
- Cross-checks
- Year-to-date change and distance from the year high, 22 Oct 2026: KOSPI +31.31% (5,533.77; high 9,114.55 on 22 Jun, −39.3%); KOSPI 200 +41.59%; KOSDAQ −17.44% (764.10; high 1,226.18 on 27 Apr, −37.7%); KOSDAQ 150 −16.93% (high 27 Feb, −39.3%).
- KOSDAQ 150 sectors: Information Technology +36.61% YTD (high 12 Jun, −32.1% from it); Healthcare −40.92% YTD (high 29 Jan, −52.7%); Communication Services −34.05% (high 29 Jan, −42.0%). KRX Semiconductor +77.5% YTD.
- Indices up for the year: 34 of 53 KOSPI-series indices, 7 of 39 KOSDAQ-series indices.
- Market size, 22 Oct: KOSPI 940 listings, 4,569 trillion won market capitalisation, 14.9 trillion won traded; KOSDAQ 1,823 listings, 432 trillion won, 6.9 trillion won traded.
- Excluded figures
- Year-to-date figures are KRX's own published change from the last close of 2025; we did not recompute them from a December file.
- Individual stocks' year-to-date returns: our daily stock file begins on 27 August.
- Why healthcare fell. We did not test causes.
- This is not investment advice.
The full dataset behind these figures — every listed company, every row — is available to license. SeoulMarkets data for licence →
Not investment advice. SMarkets publishes data journalism for general information only. Nothing here is investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any security — any investment you make is at your own risk and responsibility. Figures are derived from official public data sources and may be revised by the issuing agency. Verify independently before acting.
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