South Korea’s benchmark Kospi index closed nearly 18% higher on Friday, July 31, recovering part of the losses from a three-day market rout. The rebound was led by memory chipmakers SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics, whose shares had fallen sharply earlier in the week. SK Hynix reached South Korea’s daily price limit after climbing 30%, while Samsung gained about 27%. South Korea’s stock market has attracted large numbers of retail investors during its rise this year. Despite the recent declines, the Kospi remained more than 50% above its level at the end of 2025 following Friday’s rebound.