The benchmark KOSPI climbed 1.7 percent to 3,718.93 as of midday, crossing the 3,700 mark for the first time ever. Investor sentiment improved on expectations that trade negotiations between Seoul and Washington are nearing a breakthrough, spurring foreign buying led by institutional inflows. Heavyweights such as Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor hit new highs, while the KOSDAQ rose 0.24 percent to 866.82, reflecting steady gains among small-cap tech firms.
Shares of SK Group affiliates were mixed after the Supreme Court sent back the $1 billion divorce settlement case between Chairman Chey Tae-won and his estranged wife to a lower court. SK hynix jumped 5.8 percent, while SK Networks fell 1.7 percent.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 advanced 0.83 percent to 48,068.35, lifted by broad-based gains in tech and export-oriented shares. Mainland Chinese stocks rebounded strongly, with the Shanghai Composite Index rising 1.22 percent, reclaiming the 3,900 level.
Taiwan’s main index was little changed, supported by optimism over the island’s tech sector and the debut of Song Chuan Precision Co., Ltd. on the Taiwan Stock Exchange, which boosted turnover expectations.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index edged higher alongside gains in mainland China, though investor caution lingered amid uncertainty over global interest rate trajectories and regional export trends.
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