Japan, South Korea Stocks Close Higher as Kospi Jumps Over 3%, SK Hynix Up Nearly 6%, Samsung Gains Almost 5%

TradingKey - On August 13, Japanese and South Korean stock markets extended their previous upward momentum at the close, with SK Hynix surging nearly 6%, Samsung Electronics rising almost 5%, and Kioxia gaining nearly 4%.

The South Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed up 3.56% at 6,813.34 points, marking its fourth consecutive day of gains; Japan's Nikkei 225 Index rose 1.16% to 68,308.59 points.

Source: TradingView

The semiconductor sector continued to serve as the core driving force behind the rally in South Korean equities, with SK Hynix closing up 5.92% at 1,593,000 won (about $1,118); Samsung Electronics advanced 4.89% to 268,000 won.

In the Japanese market, memory chipmaker Kioxia rose 3.87% to close at 51,800 yen (about $325); SoftBank Group gained 1% to 5,575 yen.

The recent reigniting of enthusiasm for AI infrastructure investment has provided fresh support for the rebound in tech hardware stocks. As the latest earnings reports from global tech giants continue to signal massive AI capital expenditures, market expectations for hardware demand—such as AI servers and memory chips—have improved.

Meanwhile, South Korean regulatory authorities had previously implemented restrictions on single-stock leveraged ETFs, which, combined with investors gradually reducing margin debt, has also to some extent mitigated the impact on the market caused by the previous concentrated unwinding of leveraged positions.

Judging from market trends, the recovery in the South Korean stock market may well continue. Mark Newton, head of technical strategy at Fundstrat Global Advisors, stated that recent strong performances by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix drove the iShares MSCI South Korea ETF to break through key technical resistance levels, significantly improving the short-term technical outlook for the South Korean market with potential for further upside.