SEOUL — Few top economies are as surrounded by paradoxes in 2026 as South Korea.
As fallout from the Middle East sends shockwaves around the globe, Korea’s stock market is skyrocketing. This week, the Kospi index soared to new all-time highs as semiconductor giants Samsung and SK Hynix ride the artificial intelligence boom.
Making your way around Seoul, it’s easy to buy into the euphoria. Countless global conferences herald Korea’s place in the AI era. Across the city, young executives hover around laptops in WeWork-fashioned shared office spaces — the more tie-less, the better.
