South Korea's KOSPI rose about 1% and Japan's Nikkei 225 gained about 0.9% on
the day as chip stocks capped a strong first half. KOSPI has rallied roughly
100% in 1H, briefly touching a historical high of 9,385; Samsung Electronics and
SK Hynix are up about 180% and 310% year-to-date. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 is up
about 40% in 1H and TOPIX about 17%, with chip-equipment names Advantest and
Tokyo Electron up roughly 65% and over 120%, respectively. Drivers include
AI-driven memory-chip demand, semiconductor supply-chain strength and corporate
reform momentum.
