What drove the overnight Wall Street gains that preceded the Seoul stock rally?

U.S. stocks rose as uncertainty in the Middle East eased after President Donald Trump said he was not prepared to resume the bombardment. Hopes for diplomatic talks aimed at ending the U.S.-Iran war contributed to lower oil prices, which also calmed inflation fears.

How did major Korean stocks and the won perform at the opening on Nov. 10, 2026?

Samsung Electronics rose 5.85 percent and SK hynix gained 8.63 percent; Hyundai Motor climbed 4.42 percent and LG Energy Solution increased 3.14 percent. The won was quoted at 1,345.85 per dollar, down 1.55 won from the previous session’s close.

Seoul shares open sharply higher on US tech rally, falling oil prices

Q: How much did the KOSPI rise at the start of trading on Nov. 10, 2026, and what trading measure followed?

At 9:15 a.m., the KOSPI was up 275.50 points, or 5.49 percent, at 5,294.35. The Korea Exchange activated a buy-side sidecar at 9:06 a.m., suspending program trading for KOSPI-listed shares for five minutes.

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Summary

Korean stocks opened sharply higher in Seoul Tuesday, with the KOSPI up 5.49 percent to 5,294.35 as of 9:15 a.m. The rise followed overnight gains on Wall Street amid hopes for diplomatic talks to end the U.S.-Iran war and falling oil prices. The Korea Exchange activated a buy-side sidecar at 9:06 a.m., suspending program trading in KOSPI-listed shares for five minutes.

Key Facts

The KOSPI gained 275.50 points to 5,294.35 as of 9:15 a.m.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 2.15 percent, the S&P 500 gained 2.35 percent and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 2.74 percent.
The PHLX semiconductor index jumped 6.85 percent, while Nvidia shares fell 4.2 percent.
Samsung Electronics rose 5.85 percent, SK hynix gained 8.63 percent and Hyundai Motor climbed 4.42 percent.
The won was quoted at 1,345.85 per U.S. dollar, down 1.55 won from the previous session’s close.

By Yonhap

Published Nov 10, 2026 9:24 am KST
Updated Nov 10, 2026 9:28 am KST

The benchmark KOSPI is displayed at a dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

Korean stocks started sharply higher Tuesday following overnight Wall Street gains driven by hopes for diplomatic talks aimed at ending the U.S.-Iran war, which led to a drop in oil prices amid a scandal swirling around Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) gained 275.50 points, or 5.49 percent, to 5,294.35 as of 9:15 a.m.

With the sharp rise, the Korea Exchange activated a buy-side sidecar for the main bourse at 9:06 a.m., suspending program trading for KOSPI-listed shares for five minutes.

U.S. stocks finished higher on eased uncertainty in the Middle East as U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters that he is not prepared to resume the bombardment. A drop in oil prices also calmed inflation fears.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 2.15 percent, and the S&P 500 gained 2.35 percent. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite advanced 2.74 percent, while Nvidia tumbled 4.2 percent.

The PHLX semiconductor index jumped 6.85 percent.

In Seoul, major shares gained ground across the board.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics jumped 5.85 percent, and chipmaker SK hynix soared 8.63 percent.

Top carmaker Hyundai Motor climbed 4.42 percent, and leading battery maker LG Energy Solution increased 3.14 percent.

Defense giant Hanwha Aerospace went up 4.85 percent, and major banking group KB Financial Group increased 4.31 percent.

The Korean won was quoted at 1,345.85 won against the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., down 1.55 won from the previous trading session's close.

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