South Korea in February 2026: the most important developments in economy
South Korea's economy in February 2026 was defined by sharp swings in its stock market. Seoul stocks fell more than 5% on 2 February amid fears about the US Federal Reserve and an AI bubble, and on 5 February the Kospi index dropped nearly 4% while Bitcoin fell by as much as 8%. A South Korean crypto exchange accidentally sent billions in Bitcoin to users. By 23 February the Kospi had passed 5,900 points for the first time, after the US Supreme Court rejected a tariff policy of President Donald Trump. By 25 February the market's rally, valued at $2.2 trillion, had lifted South Korea's total market capitalization above that of France.
Samsung Electronics was at the center of the rally. It became the first South Korean company with a market capitalization above 1 quadrillion won, with SK Hynix also cited among the winners of the AI-driven surge. Samsung was reported to have won the race to be first with HBM4 memory chips, and it launched the Galaxy S26 on 25 February, with prices varying across countries.
Hyundai Motor Group announced a $6.3 billion investment in an AI data center and robot factory in Saemangeum, and President Lee pledged strong government support. Hyundai decided not to buy back its plant in Russia, and its humanoid robot pricing was contrasted with Tesla's.
Trade and policy questions ran alongside the market news. The US Trade Representative's office held talks to formalize a tariff increase on South Korean goods, and a US Section 301 investigation put South Korea's digital trade rules under scrutiny. After the Supreme Court ruling, Finance Minister Koo said the 2025 South Korea-US trade deal remains valid and that pledged US investments will proceed. Coupang confirmed further data leaks, including about 200,000 accounts in Taiwan. The Bank of Korea held interest rates steady and raised its growth forecast. South Korea will chair a new US-led critical minerals trading bloc until June.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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