Busan and Seoul South Korea

History

Introduced in 1983 with a base value of 100 as of January 4, 1980, KOSPI is determined by market capitalization. Initially below 1,000, it surged past this mark in April 1989, November 1994, and January 2000. Since 2007, KOSPI consistently records daily volumes in the hundreds of millions of shares or trillions of won.

The Korea Composite Stock Price Index, KOSPI (코스피지수), represents all common stocks on the Stock Market Division (formerly Korea Stock Exchange) of the Korea Exchange. It serves as the key stock market index for South Korea, comparable to the Dow Jones Industrial Average or S&P 500 in the United States.

Formed by integrating the Korea Stock Exchange (KSE), Korea Futures Exchange, and KOSDAQ Stock Market under the Korea Stock & Futures Exchange Act, the Korea Exchange comprises the Stock Market Division, KOSDAQ Market Division, and Derivatives Market Division. In 2023, it boasted 2,437 listed companies, commanding a total market capitalization of US $2.1 trillion.

On May 22, 2015, the Korea Exchange became a participant in the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges initiative. The event, attended by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and senior officials from UN Global Compact and UNCTAD, marked this significant collaboration.