韩国股市10月屡创盘中新高，“韩国折价”消失了？

Group 1 - The significant rise in the South Korean stock market is attributed to optimism surrounding semiconductor stocks driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and expectations of comprehensive corporate governance reforms, which are gradually transforming the long-standing "Korean discount" [1][4] - The KOSPI index reached historical highs 16 times in October, surpassing the 4000-point mark, with a nearly 21% increase for the month and over 72% year-to-date, outperforming other major Asia-Pacific indices [1][3] - Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have a combined market capitalization exceeding 1 trillion KRW, accounting for over 30% of the KOSPI index, with strong expectations for their earnings due to a global semiconductor supply shortage [3][4] Group 2 - SK Hynix reported record quarterly revenue and profit, driven by strong demand for high-bandwidth memory for generative AI chips, with its stock price more than doubling this year [4] - Samsung Electronics also reported a significant rebound in earnings, with operating profit more than doubling from the previous quarter, and its stock price has increased by over 96% [4] - The Korean government's "Corporate Value Enhancement" plan, aimed at improving shareholder returns and corporate governance, is expected to further support the stock market's performance and reduce the "Korean discount" [5][6] Group 3 - Analysts believe that despite the substantial rise in the stock market, valuations remain attractive, with Korean banks trading at about half the price of their global peers [6] - The price-to-book ratios for Samsung and SK Hynix are 1.4 and 2.2 times, respectively, compared to a global semiconductor average of 3.0 times, indicating potential undervaluation [6] - The ongoing support from domestic investors, including retail and institutional investors, has been crucial in maintaining the upward momentum of the KOSPI index [6][7]