South Korea's KOSPI 5% Daily Volatility Surges to 25 Days YoY, Driven by Single-Stock Leveraged Products

According to Korea Exchange, KOSPI's daily volatility above 5% surged to 25 days so far in 2026, compared to only 2 days in 2025—a 1,150% increase. NH Investment Securities reported on July 9 that the surge follows the May 27 launch of 2x leveraged products tracking Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.

Days with 3% or greater KOSPI swings reached 42 this year versus 9 in 2025, with the 3% volatility rate jumping from 27% before product launch to 53% after. The two stock-tracking leveraged products have posted cumulative returns of -16% to -25% since launch. By comparison, the U.S. S&P 500 has not experienced a single 3% daily move in 2026.