KT&G emerges as unlikely foreign favorite

So far, 2026 has been as good as it gets for South Korea's benchmark Kospi, with investors piling into chipmakers and artificial intelligence-driven data center plays.

But outside the AI trade, few stocks have attracted as much attention as KT&G.

Foreign ownership of the tobacco maker recently exceeded 50 percent for the first time in seven years as its shares climbed to a record 190,000 won ($123), up from a 52-week low of 119,200 won.

With foreign ownership now on par with SK Hynix and surpass ...