Ideas
KOSPI FOMO rally keeps broadening.
Korean institutions and ETFs are being forced to buy KOSPI exposure, creating a FOMO-driven rally with ten consecutive up days and money broadening beyond semiconductors into autos and other sectors. He expects the index to reach 5,500 faster than expected and warns against betting on downside.
KOSDAQ lacks momentum, needs policy support.
KOSDAQ is lagging because second battery and bio momentum are weak, and it needs policy support before a durable turn; investors should monitor it rather than treat it as a clean bullish trade.
Won strength capped at 1480.
Bessent's verbal intervention suggests the U.S. and Korea do not want USD/KRW above 1,480, so the won's weakness is capped and the risk is now for a faster won-strengthening move; FX fear should ease for Korean assets.
Buy KOSPI index ETF and large caps.
Institutions are struggling to beat the rally by stock-picking, so index ETFs and large-cap Korean equities are a better way to stay exposed; lagging sectors should be sold to fund leaders and maintain cash for a possible turn.
Samsung benefits from tariff misread and HBM4.
The Trump 25% semiconductor tariff headline is being misread as a broad semiconductor hit, but it mainly targets re-exports such as H200; Samsung also benefits from the Yongin environmental ruling, potential HBM4 logic-die advantage, and foundry loss turnaround potential. Samsung Electronics is therefore positively positioned.
TSMC AI demand beats and margins rise.
TSMC beat fourth-quarter profit estimates on AI and advanced-node demand, with 3nm exceeding 20% of wafer revenue and Q1 operating margin guidance of 54-56%; the foundry shortage and capex cycle support continued strength.
8-inch foundry shortage lifts DB HiTek.
As the foundry industry moves to 12-inch and high-value nodes, 8-inch capacity is tightening; DB HiTek is a direct beneficiary with better results and rising expectations.
Korea Zinc leveraged to silver price.
Silver's sharp rise directly boosts Korea Zinc's profit because silver is a byproduct not subject to the same treatment-charge contract as zinc, and silver is already its largest revenue source; higher silver prices should drive earnings leverage.
Hyundai Motor re-rates on Boston Dynamics.
Hyundai Motor is re-rating because its stake in Boston Dynamics could be worth about 30 trillion won if Boston Dynamics is valued near 100 trillion won, and the market may add further re-rating value on robotics and autonomy; it remains cheap versus Tesla and Toyota.
Foreign robot basket buying warrants caution.
Foreigners are buying Korean robot stocks as a basket, with Rainbow Robotics and Robotis among top net buys, suggesting strong interest in the local robotics theme; however, the move has FOMO characteristics and warrants caution.
Wemade material exhausted, numbers disappoint.
Wemade fell sharply despite MIR2 news, which he interprets as material exhaustion and disappointing underlying numbers, making the stock unattractive near term.
Shipbuilding and defense stay favored.
Geopolitical tensions from Iran and other risks support the Korean shipbuilding and defense sectors, and he remains positive on them over a longer horizon.
Hyundai E&C leads nuclear contract momentum.
He likes nuclear and power equipment and views Hyundai E&C as the sector leader, expecting strong contract momentum this year even though first-quarter earnings may be weak.
POSCO Group has multiple positive layers.
POSCO Group has layered positives: POSCO Holdings' Argentine lithium resources gain value as lithium prices rise, POSCO International confirmed participation in Alaska LNG, and POSCO DX is linked to smart-factory robotics; this also reflects re-rating of Korean manufacturing know-how.
KOSPI 5000 likely, valuation still cheap.
KOSPI can reach 5,000 in the first quarter because semiconductor earnings and EPS revisions are strong while the index still trades around 10.1x forward P/E, below its 10-year average; he would become more cautious in the second quarter after the fast move.
Quality small caps may lead later.
Large-cap Korean stocks should lead until fourth-quarter earnings season ends in early February, but after that quality small- and mid-cap stocks may become attractive as the market rotates.
Do not chase USD/KRW upside.
The Bank of Korea and Bessent's comments suggest 1,480 is being defended, so chasing USD/KRW upside is unattractive and the won may strengthen, potentially creating a one-sided move in the FX market.
Entertainment long-term good, earnings weak.
Entertainment stocks have long-term catalysts from BTS and Blackpink comebacks, but fourth-quarter earnings are likely to be weak, so the market is waiting for a better timing rather than chasing now.
Auto group re-rates on robotics.
Hyundai Motor is being re-rated on humanoid robots, autonomy and Boston Dynamics stake value, with target prices raised sharply by several brokers; Kia and Hyundai Mobis are also beneficiaries, though one broker remains more conservative on Hyundai.
Tire sector overweight on price leverage.
Second-tier tire makers such as Hankook Tire & Technology and Kumho Tire are gaining price-hike leverage as raw material and freight costs stabilize, leading to a sector overweight recommendation.
Shipbuilding orders show cycle not peaked.
HD Korea Shipbuilding's 2026 order target is above expectations and implies the order peak is not in sight; LNG projects and naval export opportunities support the shipbuilding cycle, with HD Hyundai Heavy highlighted as a high-conviction overweight.
Refining and petrochemical cycle recovering.
S-Oil's fourth-quarter earnings are expected to beat significantly on strong refining margins, and tight supply should keep margins historically high; NCC restructuring and the end of China's export tax rebate also support a petrochemical cycle recovery.
Memory upcycle favors Samsung and SK hynix.
Memory prices keep rising, with DRAM spot prices up sharply, and HBM4 logic-die dynamics may favor Samsung Electronics because it can produce logic dies internally while SK hynix relies more on TSMC. He views both Samsung Electronics and SK hynix as undervalued.
Holding companies re-rate on governance reforms.
Korean holding companies are re-rating on value-up, commercial law revisions, dividend tax separation and mandatory treasury-share cancellation; those with high treasury shares and rising dividends are particularly attractive.
Hanwha spin-off lifts sum-of-parts.
Hanwha's spin-off plan, 5.9% treasury-share cancellation and minimum DPS policy are lifting its sum-of-parts value and shareholder return; Hanwha Galleria hit the daily limit as part of the restructuring.
Brokerages beat on record trading volume.
Brokerage fourth-quarter earnings are expected to beat consensus on favorable markets and trading gains, while record trading volume and policy support for capital markets benefit the sector; Meritz's top pick is Korea Investment Holdings and second pick Kiwoom Securities.
Hair-loss theme may reignite on vouchers.
Government review of including youth hair-loss treatment in health vouchers could reignite the hair-loss treatment theme, though fiscal constraints may limit how aggressively the program expands.
Humanoid robots enter proof-of-concept phase.
CES 2026 marked a humanoid-robot inflection from showmanship to use cases, with 2026 becoming a proof-of-concept war; robots will enter dangerous, dull and repetitive industrial jobs first, and caregiving has large ROI potential as labor supply shrinks.
Hyundai Atlas leads humanoid race.
Hyundai Motor's Atlas dominated CES 2026, and its partnership with Google DeepMind plus deployment at the Georgia Metaplant give it a credible humanoid-robot leadership position.
LG home robot strategy looks promising.
LG Electronics' CLoiD home robot was a strategically well-designed entry because its wheeled base, height adjustment and stability make consumers more comfortable with home robots, though timing for home adoption remains highly uncertain.
Korean robotics ecosystem can compete.
Korea has a full humanoid-robot ecosystem including parts, sensors, actuators and finished robots, and its credibility and security advantages versus China may let it win the use-case and proof-of-concept competition even if China leads in volume.
This 3PRO TV (삼프로TV) video, published January 15, 2026,
features Jang Woo-jin, Kim Jang-yeol, Park Geun-hyung, Han Jae-kwon
discussing EWY, KOSDAQ, USD/KRW, Korean large-cap stocks, 005930.KS, TSM, 000990.KS, 010130.KS, 005380.KS, 277810.KQ, 108490.KQ, 112040.KQ, Korean Shipbuilding, Korean Defense, 000720.KS, URA, 005490.KS, 047050.KS, 022100.KS, Korean small/mid caps, Korean entertainment, 352820.KS, 000270.KS, 012330.KS, 161390.KS, 073240.KS, 329180.KS, 009540.KS, 042660.KS, 010950.KS, 096770.KS, 078930.KS, 000660.KS, Korean holding companies, 000880.KS, 071050.KS, 039490.KS, 004310.KS, Metarals, 067290.KQ, TS Trion, Innojin, Humanoid robotics, Physical AI, 066570.KS, Korean Robotics.
31 trade ideas extracted by AI with direction and confidence scoring.
Speakers:
Jang Woo-jin,
Kim Jang-yeol,
Park Geun-hyung,
Han Jae-kwon
· Tickers:
EWY,
KOSDAQ,
USD/KRW,
Korean large-cap stocks,
005930.KS,
TSM,
000990.KS,
010130.KS,
005380.KS,
277810.KQ,
108490.KQ,
112040.KQ,
Korean Shipbuilding,
Korean Defense,
000720.KS,
URA,
005490.KS,
047050.KS,
022100.KS,
Korean small/mid caps,
Korean entertainment,
352820.KS,
000270.KS,
012330.KS,
161390.KS,
073240.KS,
329180.KS,
009540.KS,
042660.KS,
010950.KS,
096770.KS,
078930.KS,
000660.KS,
Korean holding companies,
000880.KS,
071050.KS,
039490.KS,
004310.KS,
Metarals,
067290.KQ,
TS Trion,
Innojin,
Humanoid robotics,
Physical AI,
066570.KS,
Korean Robotics
