South Korea's KOSPI daily trading volume hits year-to-date low in September

The average daily trading volume of the KOSPI index fell to 20.6 trillion KRW (approximately 15 billion USD) in September, marking the lowest level of 2026 and less than half of the peak seen in May and June. Despite this, the index remains up by about 59% year-to-date, ranking as one of the best-performing major benchmarks globally, supported by corporate buybacks. Analysts attribute the decline in stock market appeal to rising domestic interest rates, which have shifted capital toward interest-linked savings products, alongside pressure on growth stocks from Federal Reserve rate hike expectations.