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South Korea's stock market overtakes France and Germany in capitalization

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South Korea's stock market overtakes France and Germany in capitalization

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As of February 24, 2026, the South Korean stock market reached a capitalization of $3.76 trillion, ranking ninth in the world. It surpassed the markets of France ($3.69 trillion) and Germany ($3.25 trillion), having increased by $2.23 trillion since the start of 2025.

The benchmark KOSPI index added 44% during this period, showcasing the best performance among global exchanges. This growth was attributed to investor interest in companies specializing in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and robotics. By contrast, the French CAC 40 gained only 4% due to limited attention toward the European tech sector.

According to the World Bank, South Korea ranked 12th in the world in terms of GDP in 2024, trailing behind France, which ranked 7th. During his election campaign, President Lee Jae Myung promised to address the "Korean discount" and raise the KOSPI to 5,000 points. In early February, the South Korean market displaced Germany from the top ten by market capitalization.

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