Seoul: South Korean stocks traded markedly higher late Thursday morning, driven by strong gains in semiconductor and other tech shares amid optimism over artificial intelligence (AI). The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 155.23 points, or 2.82 percent, to 5,662.24 as of 11:20 a.m.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the index opened at a record high after a three-day closure for the Lunar New Year holiday, breaching the 5,600-point mark for the first time ever, and maintained its upward momentum on solid buying by institutional investors. The KOSPI has been on a bull run in recent sessions and reached a record closing high of 5,522.27 on Feb. 12.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics soared 4.47 percent, while chip giant SK hynix rose 1.82 percent. Top automaker Hyundai Motor went up 0.6 percent, while its sister affiliate Kia advanced 2.86 percent. Leading battery maker LG Energy Solution added 1.36 percent, and AI investment firm SK Square surged 3.58 percent.
Bio giant Samsung Biologics went up 2.22 percent, and Celltrion climbed 2.94 percent. Nuclear power plant builder Doosan Enerbility increased 2.48 percent, and defense giant Hanwha Aerospace jumped 3.26 percent. Leading shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy and its rival Hanwha Ocean spiked 6.63 percent and 8.71 percent, respectively.
The Korean won was trading at 1,451.75 won against the U.S. dollar as of 11:20 a.m., down 6.85 won from the previous session.