AI chip craze boost "Shengka"! South Korean stock market surpasses Canada, jumping to the world's seventh largest market.

According to data compiled by the market, driven by the continuous demand for artificial intelligence chips, the total market value of the South Korean stock market has surpassed Canada, ranking as the seventh largest stock market globally. So far this year, the total market value of listed companies in South Korea has surged by 71% to reach $4.59 trillion, while during the same period, the market value of the Canadian stock market has only increased by about 7% to $4.5 trillion. Samsung Electronics recently surpassed the trillion-dollar market value mark, and SK Hynix's stock price has more than doubled since the beginning of the year. The dominant positions of these two companies in the AI chip sector have made their products and stocks highly sought after in the market. This ranking upheaval highlights the decisive role of index composition in determining the performance of a country's stock market. Due to the high weight of the two semiconductor giants in the South Korean benchmark index Kospi, which is up to 45%, the market value of the South Korean stock market has successively surpassed major European markets such as the UK and France, supported by the wave of semiconductor demand. The Kospi index has risen by over 70% year-to-date, while Canada's S&P/TSX Composite Index, which is predominantly focused on resources and financial sectors, has only risen by 7% during the same period. Eugene Asset Management Co.'s Chief Investment Officer, Heo Sik-geun, stated: "Driven by the AI-driven storage chip cycle, South Korea's market value is expected to further expand; while Canada, being highly concentrated in energy and financial sectors, has relatively limited growth potential."