SEOUL, October 21 (AJP) - South Korean and Japanese shares extended gains on Tuesday, buoyed by red-hot semiconductor and energy stocks, sending a ripple effect across broader Asian markets.
The benchmark KOSPI climbed 2 percent to 3,890, inching closer to the symbolic four-digit threshold. SK hynix continued its scorching run, breaching 500,000 won ($ 351.60), as investors piled in amid growing fear of missing out (FOMO) on a sustained memory chip rally.
“SK hynix shares are flying on FOMO among chip investors amid evident tightening in the DRAM supply chain,” said Ryu Hyung-keun, a researcher at Daishin Securities.
Analysts expect the global DRAM shortage to deepen as high-end fabs pivot toward high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and other advanced chips. Even with new facility investments, installation of production equipment such as extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) lithography tools takes at least six months — a lag that could push DRAM prices up 15–20 percent in the fourth quarter from the July–September period.
Nuclear and EV suppliers gain
Nuclear-equipment stocks surged after reports that Seoul and Washington are renegotiating their nuclear accord to allow Korea to enrich and reprocess nuclear fuel.
KEPCO KPS jumped 4.4 percent to 52,300 won (US$36.83), while Doosan Enerbility rose 1.7 percent to 81,700 won.
EV supply-chain names also rallied following upbeat results from U.S. electric-vehicle makers.
LG Energy Solution advanced 3.4 percent to 447,000 won, and Samsung Electronics edged up 1.4 percent to 99,600 won, approaching the symbolic 100,000-won milestone.
LG Innotek, a key Apple camera-module supplier, soared 5.6 percent to 227,000 won on expectations of solid iPhone earnings.
Regional markets upbeat
Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.2 percent to 49,760, extending gains for a second session as investors welcomed easing political uncertainty ahead of the ruling-party vote widely expected to confirm Sanae Takaichi — known for her pro-monetary-easing stance — as the next prime minister. Semiconductor-related stocks led the rally, with Advantest, a major chip-testing-equipment maker, climbing 3 percent to 18,000 yen (about 170,000 won).
On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite Index inched up 0.2 percent to 3,870, stabilizing after weaker-than-expected third-quarter growth data. Investors are now focused on the Chinese Communist Party’s Fourth Plenum, which runs through Thursday.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index advanced 1.4 percent to 26,215, lifted by technology and platform stocks, while Taiwan’s TAIEX added 0.6 percent to 27,850.
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