Kospi tops 7,000 as Samsung rally lifts market cap above $1 trillion

South Korea’s Kospi index hit a fresh record on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, rising above the 7,000-point mark as technology shares advanced.

sources reported the benchmark is up more than 70% since the start of the year. Samsung Electronics led the gains, with its shares up more than 15% on the day, lisourcesing the company’s market capitalization above $1 trillion.

sources, citing FactSet data, said Samsung became the second Asian company to cross the $1 trillion threshold asourceser Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), which first exceeded that level on Feb. 26. FactSet data also showed Samsung’s shares hit a record high and were on course for their largest single-day gain on record.

Broader markets supported by geopolitical headlines

Global equities also traded higher asourceser U.S. President Donald Trump said he would pause “Project Freedom,” a U.S. military operation launched the day before to guide commercial ships out of the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump said the decision was linked to what he described as progress in U.S.-Iran peace talks, adding that the operation would be paused for a short period to see whether an agreement could be finalized.

Separately, China hosted Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Beijing for discussions ahead of Trump’s scheduled visit to the Chinese capital, according to sources’s reporting and Chinese state media.