Kospi Jumps 5% as Asian Chipmakers Rebound From AI Selloff

Asian equities rebounded sharply as chipmakers recovered from an AI-driven selloff, with South Korea’s Kospi jumping 5.36% to an intraday high of 7,164 and Japan’s Nikkei 225 rising nearly 2% to 67,524.22. The move was led by semiconductor names such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, after investors had recently taken profits amid concerns over stretched AI valuations. The rally followed a strong Tuesday session across Asian markets and was echoed on Wall Street, where the Nasdaq 100 posted its best day in three weeks and a semiconductor index surged 5.2%. Despite the bounce, the Kospi remains more than 20% lower over the past month, highlighting ongoing volatility in the AI trade. Market participants are watching whether the rebound can hold, especially as major earnings from Alphabet and Tesla are set to test risk appetite and the durability of the semiconductor recovery.