South Korean shares hit a new record on the first trading day of 2026 on Friday, with the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index(KOSPI) surpassing the four-thousand-300 mark for the first time.

The KOSPI closed at four-thousand-309-point-63 on Friday, up 95-point-46 points, or two-point-27 percent, from the previous session on December 30, due in part to record December export figures.

The previous KOSPI high was four-thousand-221-point-87 posted last November 3. 

The KOSPI opened at four‑thousand‑224‑point‑53, up ten‑point‑36 points, or zero‑point‑25 percent.

The index first topped the four-thousand-300 mark around 2:36 p.m. after posting gains of more than two percent. 

South Korea’s December exports posted a record high, up 13-point-four percent to reach 69-point-six billion U.S. dollars, with its 2025 exports also posting a record high, surpassing 700 billion U.S. dollars for the first time.

The tech-heavy KOSDAQ climbed 20-point-10 points, or two-point-17 percent, to close at 945-point-57.