Driven by the global AI boom, South Korean tech stocks have surged. According to data compiled by institutions as of Tuesday, the total market capitalization of the South Korean stock market has climbed to $3.76 trillion, an increase of approximately $2.23 trillion since the beginning of 2025. This figure has surpassed France’s $3.69 trillion, placing South Korea ninth in the global stock market capitalization rankings. South Korea has successively overtaken France and Germany this year, highlighting that investors are rapidly reevaluating its market, with substantial capital flowing into AI-related memory chip and robotics leaders. This surge in market capitalization is attributable to shareholder-friendly reforms and reflects South Korea’s growing importance in the global AI supply chain, enabling its stock market to outperform larger economies despite its relatively small overall economic size. South Korea’s KOSPI index has surged by about 44% this year, making it the world’s best-performing stock market, while France’s CAC 40 index has risen by only about 4% this year.