원·달러 환율, 달러 강세·외인 주식 ‘팔자’에 5거래일째 상승…코스피는 7981 최고치 마감

The South Korean stock market reached a record high on May 14, 2026, with the KOSPI closing at 7,981.41, bringing the index within 19 points of the 8,000-point milestone. This surge occurred despite a continuing rise in the US dollar-to-won exchange rate, which climbed for a fifth consecutive trading session.

On May 14, 2026, the KOSPI rose 137.40 points, or 1.75%, to finish at 7,981.41. The market’s movement was characterized by a tug-of-war between domestic buyers and foreign investors. Individual investors drove the index upward with net purchases totaling 1.8499 trillion won, while institutional investors added 192.7 billion won. Conversely, foreign investors continued a selling streak for the sixth consecutive trading day, recording a net sell of 2.168 trillion won.

Major technology stocks played a significant role in the session’s volatility. Samsung Electronics closed at 296,000 won, an increase of 4.23%. During trading, the stock reached a new record high of 299,500 won. SK Hynix also hit a new record high of 1.994 million won during the session, although it eventually closed slightly lower at 1.97 million won, a decrease of 0.30%.

The KOSDAQ index also saw gains on May 14, 2026, closing at 1,191.09, up 14.16 points, or 1.20%.

The rally in Seoul followed positive momentum from the United States. On May 14, 2026, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.75% to close at 50,063.46, marking the first time the index recovered the 50,000 level since February 11. Market analysts attributed the gain to a continued rally in technology stocks and a positive reception to the expressed will for cooperation between the U.S. And China during a recent summit.

Simultaneously, the foreign exchange market faced upward pressure. The US dollar-to-won exchange rate closed at 1,491.0 won on May 14, 2026, an increase of 0.4 won from the previous trading day. This marked the fifth consecutive session of increases, driven by a strong US dollar and the outflow of foreign capital from the domestic equity market.

The upward trend continued into the overnight market. At 2 a.m. On May 15, 2026, the dollar-won exchange rate closed at 1,493.40 won, rising 2.80 won from the Seoul market closing price. This represents the highest closing level for the currency pair since April 7, 2026.

The divergence between the record-breaking KOSPI and the weakening won reflects the impact of foreign investors exiting the equity market. The demand for dollar remittances, coupled with a general strength in the US dollar, has sustained the currency’s rise even as domestic indices hit historic peaks.