South Korea’s equity market overtakes India to become the world’s sixth-largest by market capitalization, according to Bloomberg-linked figures cited by multiple outlets. South Korea’s market value is reported at over $5 trillion, replacing India’s roughly $4.8 trillion. The shift is presented as part of a broader regional rally, with Taiwan also previously reported to have moved ahead of India after crossing $5 trillion in market value.
Across the articles, the main driver is strong performance from South Korean semiconductor companies powering global artificial intelligence demand, particularly memory chipmakers. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are repeatedly named as the largest contributors to the rise. Several sources describe the rally as tied to record results from these firms and to rising AI-related capital expenditure, which benefits memory chips used in AI systems.
One outlet also contrasts outcomes across the three markets: South Korean and Taiwanese equities are described as in bull phases with large gains in 2026, while India’s market capitalization is reported to have declined year-to-date, influenced by foreign portfolio selling attributed to geopolitical uncertainties. The cited figures vary, but all accounts link the ranking change to the strength of Korea’s AI-focused semiconductor sector.
