Taiwan’s benchmark TAIEX surged 4.1 percent to 34,114.2, marking the strongest performance among major Asian markets. The rally was driven by chipmaker TSMC, which climbed 4.86 percent to 1,940 TWD ($ 61.1) in active trading as global semiconductor stocks extended gains following a technology-led rebound on Wall Street.
In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI rose 1.4 percent to 5,609.95, after briefly climbing to an intraday high of 5,746.36 before paring gains late in the session.
Institutional investors bought 781.4 billion won ($532 million) worth of shares, while individual investors sold 508.1 billion won and foreign investors offloaded 255.6 billion won.
Technology shares supported the market, with Samsung Electronics rising 1.12 percent to 190,000 won and SK hynix gaining 1.81 percent to 955,000 won.
Among other heavyweight stocks, Samsung Biologics jumped 4.1 percent to 1,657,000 won, while Hyundai Motor advanced 1 percent to 530,000 won. Battery maker LG Energy Solution added 0.7 percent to 369,500 won, and internet platform giant Naver rose 0.7 percent to 222,000 won.
Investor sentiment toward Korean equities was also buoyed by shareholder-return announcements after Samsung Electronics and SK Group unveiled large-scale treasury share cancellations.
However, gains faded toward the close as investors grew cautious ahead of the quarterly derivatives expiration known as “quadruple witching day” and the release of the U.S. consumer price index (CPI) later in the day.
The tech-heavy KOSDAQ slipped 0.1 percent to close at 1,136.83.
Individual investors purchased 254.3 billion won, while foreign investors around 81.2 billion won and institutions offloaded 126.7 billion won.
Meanwhile, several telecom equipment makers surged on the secondary board, defying the broader decline in the KOSDAQ market.
Shares of Daehan Optical Communication jumped 29.95 percent, while HFR, Solid, Inno Instrument and KMW all hit the daily upper limit.
The rally came amid expectations of stronger global investment in telecommunications infrastructure, as demand for high-speed networks grows alongside the expansion of AI and robotics technologies. Moreover, U.S. pressuring to curb the use of Chinese telecom equipment could benefit Korean suppliers with strong export exposure.
In other parts of Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.4 percent to 55,025.37, while the broader TOPIX gained 0.9 percent to 3,698.9, supported by technology and auto shares. Automaker Toyota climbed 1.1 percent, while electronics giant Sony added 1.3 percent.
Mainland Chinese markets posted modest gains. The Shanghai Composite edged up 0.3 percent to 4,133.71, while the CSI 300 rose 0.6 percent to 4,704.5, as investors remained cautious amid persistent geopolitical uncertainty.
Elsewhere in the region, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 advanced 0.6 percent to 8,743.5, while India’s Nifty 50 slipped 1.1 percent in afternoon trading.
Global risk sentiment remained fragile despite the regional rebound. Brent crude climbed to $89.56 a barrel, while WTI crude rose to $85.4, reflecting continued concerns over potential supply disruptions tied to tensions around the Strait of Hormuz.
In currency markets, the Korean won traded at around 1,469.4 per dollar, slightly firmer on the day. The Japanese yen hovered near 158.1 per dollar, while the Chinese yuan stood at about 6.87 per dollar.
Meanwhile, the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield stood at 4.143 percent, while the dollar index slipped slightly to 98.8. Wall Street futures pointed modestly higher during Asian trading, with S&P 500 futures up 0.2 percent and Nasdaq futures gaining 0.1 percent.
In Seoul, shipbuilding stocks rallied on expectations that longer energy transport routes could boost demand for LNG carriers and oil tankers amid heightened tensions in the Middle East. Hanwha Ocean surged 7.4 percent, while Samsung Heavy Industries gained about 3 percent and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries also moved higher.
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