32% From the Previous Session at 6,863

As of 9:07 a.m., the KOSPI was up 4.32% from the previous session at 6,863.27. The index opened 2.96% higher at 6,773.92 and quickly extended its gains in the first minutes of trading. Leading the advance were major chipmakers. Samsung Electronics rose 5.19% to 268,750 won, while SK Hynix climbed 7.25% to 1,613,000 won.

SK Square and Samsung Electro-Mechanics each jumped more than 10%. The rally mirrored strength in U.S. semiconductor shares overnight, with Micron up 4.92% and SanDisk gaining 5.76%. The move suggests that concerns about a peak in artificial intelligence demand, which had been at the center of market anxiety, were excessive.