South Korean stocks surged over 8 percent Thursday, driven by Samsung Electronics' wage deal averting a strike and Nvidia's strong earnings outlook boosting semiconductor sentiment. The KOSPI index jumped 606.64 points to close at 7,815.59, with chipmakers and robotics-related shares leading gains. Samsung climbed 8.51 percent after reaching a tentative labor agreement, while SK hynix gained 11.17 percent and LG Electronics soared 29.83 percent on robotics optimism. Hyundai Motor and Kia also rallied over 12 percent as auto stocks performed strongly. Nvidia's earnings surprise and CEO Jensen Huang's emphasis on AI and robotics as growth drivers reinforced expectations for continued semiconductor strength. The Korean won appreciated to 1,506.1 against the dollar as institutional buyers led the market rally with net purchases of 2.
