(LEAD) Seoul shares set fresh record high on tech, auto rally, after brief touch of above 4,600

▲ This photo taken Jan. 7, 2026, shows the dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) stocks-summary

(LEAD) Seoul shares set fresh record high on tech, auto rally, after brief touch of above 4,600

(ATTN: ADDS bond yields at bottom)

SEOUL, Jan. 7 (Yonhap) -- Seoul shares extended their rally to a fourth day to set a fresh record high on a tech and auto rally Wednesday after briefly landing above the 4,600-point level. The Korean won fell against the U.S. dollar.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 25.58 points, or 0.57 percent, to close at an all-time high of 4,551.06.

The index briefly topped the 4,600-point mark, touch an intraday high of 4,611.72.

On Tuesday, the KOSPI broke through the 4,500-point threshold on tech gains to end 1.52 percent up at 4,525.48.

Trading volume was heavy at 548.38 million shares worth 28.83 trillion won (US$19.9 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 683 to 199.

Foreign investors bought a net 1.25 trillion won worth of stocks, offsetting net selling by institutions and individuals of 938.95 billion won and 294.59 billion won, respectively.

"Record gains in automobiles, semiconductors and shipbuilding stocks helped the KOSPI briefly top the 4,600-point mark during the session and close above 4,500 for a second straight session," Lee Jae-won, an analyst at Shinhan Securities Co., said.

Technology and auto stocks led the gains.

Market behemoth Samsung Electronics rose 1.51 percent to 141,000 won, while chip giant SK hynix jumped 2.2 percent to 742,000 won.

Top carmaker Hyundai Motor surged 13.8 percent to 350,500 won, and its smaller affiliate Kia climbed 5.55 percent to 129,300 won.

The automakers advanced after Hyundai-owned Boston Dynamics demonstrated its humanoid robot Atlas for the first time at this year's CES tech show Monday (U.S. time).

Leading shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries climbed 1.27 percent to 557,000 won on a series of high-end ship orders.

Among decliners, national flag carrier Korean Air fell 1.78 percent to 22,100 won, while state-run utility Korea Electric Power Corp. also declined 1.78 percent to 49,600 won.

Leading refiner SK Innovation dropped 3.77 percent to 102,000 won, and battery maker LG Energy Solution shed 1.98 percent to 370,500 won.

The local currency was quoted at 1,445.80 won against the U.S. dollar at 3:30 p.m., down 0.3 won from the previous session.

Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, ended higher. The yield on three-year Treasurys fell 3.8 basis points to 2.910 percent, while the return on the benchmark five-year government bonds declined 5.9 basis points to 3.185 percent.

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