The South Korean stock market surpassed the 5,500-point milestone for the first time during Thursday's trading session, driven by strong gains in blue-chip technology stocks such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.
As of 10:59 a.m. local time on Thursday, the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose by 157.13 points, or 2.93%, to 5,511.62 points, before retreating slightly below this level by 11:20 a.m.
This marks the first time the benchmark index has breached the 5,500-point threshold.
Semiconductor stocks were the primary drivers of the index's advance, with Samsung Electronics surging 6.08% and SK Hynix climbing 3.26%.
Leading battery manufacturer LG Energy Solution saw its shares rise by 3.95%, while artificial intelligence investment firm SK Square jumped 6.2%.
Financial stocks also showed broad strength. Shinhan Financial Group advanced 4.56%, and Hana Financial Group increased by 1.43%.
On the other hand, Hyundai Motor declined by 0.39%, and Doosan Energy dropped 2.09%. Major biotechnology company Celltrion saw its shares fall by 3.13%.
Overnight, major U.S. stock indices closed slightly lower as investors reacted mixedly to a stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs report. The report bolstered expectations that the U.S. economy remains resilient and that the Federal Reserve may keep interest rates unchanged.
Investors are now awaiting the release of U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) data on Friday, which will provide further insight into the Federal Reserve's monetary policy direction.
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