South Korean shares climbed on Wednesday, extending gains for a third consecutive session as chipmakers advanced on optimism over strong demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure, according to a Reuters report.
The benchmark KOSPI rose 219.73 points, or 3.46%, to 6,565.26 by 0155 GMT, its highest level since August 5. Semiconductor stocks led the gains, with Samsung Electronics jumping 6.16% and SK Hynix rising 3.86%.
The rally came despite a weaker session on Wall Street, where U.S. stocks ended lower on Tuesday as concerns grew over prospects for a deal aimed at stabilising the Middle East. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index, however, gained 0.9%, supporting sentiment toward South Korean chipmakers.
As per the report, investors increasingly favored semiconductor and domestic AI-related stocks amid expectations of sustained AI infrastructure demand, with recent developments involving CoreWeave and Supermicro adding to optimism.
Among other major stocks, battery maker LG Energy Solution gained 2.54%, while Hyundai Motor and Kia rose 1.99% and 1.86%, respectively. POSCO Holdings added 0.15%, while Samsung Biologics declined 0.81%.
Of the 910 stocks traded, 468 advanced and 402 declined. Foreign investors were net buyers of South Korean shares worth 899.6 billion won ($635.65 million).
The South Korean won weakened 0.11% against the dollar to 1,414.6 on the onshore settlement platform, compared with 1,413.0 in the previous session.
In the bond market, September futures on three-year Korean Treasury bonds fell 0.02 point to 103.23. The most liquid three-year Treasury yield was unchanged at 3.802%, while the benchmark 10-year yield also remained flat at 4.303%.
