South Korean KOSPI-listed companies reported a sharp first-half earnings increase as global demand for semiconductors used in artificial-intelligence systems fueled the market’s results. The combined operating profit of 720 companies rose 348.5% year over year to 275 trillion won ($196.7 billion) from January through June, according to Korea Exchange findings released on August 19, 2026. Combined sales increased 34.5% to 1.07 quadrillion won, while net profit jumped 330% to 291.5 trillion won. Excluding Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, sales rose 6.08%, operating profit gained 11.78% and net profit increased 25.44%, indicating that the improvement extended beyond the two major chipmakers. A total of 581 companies, or 80.69%, were profitable, with electrical and electronic companies and precision machinery makers among the strongest-performing groups. The new Korea Exchange figures differ from an earlier record covering 634 December fiscal year-end companies, which reported operating profit of 388.15 trillion won, revenue of 2,000.13 trillion won and net profit of 386.67 trillion won for the same period. That earlier dataset attributed 244.88 trillion won of operating profit to Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix combined and showed profit growth even after excluding them. The different totals appear to reflect different company coverage, so the figures should not be treated as a single consolidated series. The earlier record also showed stronger KOSPI balance sheets, with the consolidated debt-to-equity ratio falling to 100.81% at the end of June from 110.52% at the end of last year, while KOSDAQ leverage increased. Analysts expected semiconductor demand to continue supporting second-half earnings but warned that slower chip-price growth, exchange-rate movements, one-off costs, interest rates and political uncertainty could moderate the pace of improvement.