Korea Tech Daily — 2026-09-22
KOSPI briefly surged past 7,170 before settling just above 7,000, with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix leading the chip-driven rally. Meanwhile, Kakao cleared the first hurdle in its planned corporate spin-off, and AI startup Dtonic struck a global partnership with UAE-based Presight. Seoul also moved to ban unjustified early recovery of venture fund capital.
Korea Tech Daily — 2026-09-22
Top Story
South Korea's KOSPI briefly topped the 7,170 level intraday on the 22nd before giving back most of its gains, closing at 7,017.91 — still up 10.19 points on the day. The surge was led by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which rallied alongside a broader global tech push; the won also strengthened and government bond yields eased as risk appetite improved. The milestone underscores how concentrated Korea's equity rally remains in its memory-chip champions.
Samsung · SK Hynix · LG
- KOSPI rally led by the chip duopoly: Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix were the main drivers of Tuesday's nearly 2% market gain, tracking Wall Street gains
- Talent pipeline expansion: Samsung and SK Hynix continue building direct hiring routes through university programs where the companies co-develop courses and provide financial support to feed the AI-era workforce — note this dates from Sept 16, within the coverage window's context of ongoing coverage but outside strict 24h; included for continuity.
Naver · Kakao · LINE
- Kakao spin-off clears first hurdle: Shareholder opposition to the merger of surviving entity KakaoX with Kakao Investment stayed in the 2 percent range, clearing the threshold needed to avoid a mandatory shareholder vote under the Commercial Act
- No fresh Naver or LINE-specific developments were found within the past 24 hours. Recent context: the two giants continue their split strategies, with Naver investing in AI infrastructure via its "AI Factory" initiative with Nvidia and Brookfield, while Kakao goes all-in on popularizing AI services
Startups & Investment
- Dtonic partners with Presight (G42): Korean AI platform company Dtonic announced a strategic partnership with Presight, a subsidiary of UAE AI group G42, to push into global AI city and smart nation markets and apply Dtonic's technology to Presight's existing projects
- Security tech funding: Seoul will invest 200 billion won in security tech startups, selecting 100 innovation firms per year through 2030 via a Korean version of the CIA-backed In-Q-Tel model — published Sept 3; included as the policy framework still shaping this week's ecosystem news.
Policy & Industry
- Venture fund clawbacks banned: Korea's revised Venture Investment Act bans venture capital firms from demanding early recovery of funds without justifiable grounds, a structural reform aimed at protecting founders and LPs
- Startup forum chief pushes deregulation urgency: Korea Startup Forum chairman Kim Jae-won warned that deregulation is meaningless once markets are lost to foreign rivals, calling for reform and capital market fixes
What to Watch
- Whether the KOSPI can sustainably hold the 7,000 level after today's intraday rejection above 7,170
- Next steps in Kakao's spin-off process following the cleared opposition threshold
- Implementation details of the revised Venture Investment Act and how VC firms adjust fund terms
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