In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI jumped 2.93 percent to 5,803.37 in morning trading, while the tech-heavy KOSDAQ rose 3.15 percent to 767.28 as of around 9:10 a.m.
The rally followed another strong session on Wall Street, where the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite gained 1.18 percent and the S&P 500 rose 0.60 percent overnight, supported by renewed enthusiasm for AI-related investment.
Investor confidence has improved following U.S. AI startup Anthropic's plans for an initial public offering and strong demand for Meta's massive equity fundraising. Gains in U.S. semiconductor stocks, alongside easing international oil prices amid signs of reduced tensions in the Middle East, provided additional support.
Han Ji-young, an analyst at Kiwoom Securities, said before the opening bell that gains in U.S. semiconductor shares and easing pressure from oil prices and interest rates were expected to lift South Korean stocks. Investors were also awaiting the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision and upcoming earnings from major U.S. technology companies.
South Korean semiconductor giant Samsung Electronics surged 4.95 percent to 233,000 won ($175.25), while its rival SK hynix climbed 3.06 percent to 1,382,000 won.
SK hynix reported record third-quarter operating profit of 83.33 trillion won, up 632.1 percent from a year earlier, while revenue soared 327.9 percent to 104.62 trillion won, exceeding 100 trillion won for the first time.
The chipmaker also unveiled plans to return approximately 100 trillion won to shareholders for the 2026 financial year, including more than 30 trillion won in cash dividends and over 60 trillion won in share buybacks and cancellations.
The results reflected surging demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and other advanced chips used in AI infrastructure, reinforcing expectations of sustained investment in the semiconductor industry.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 gained 0.65 percent to 63,677.33, extending the positive momentum across major Asian markets.
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