South Korea's benchmark Kospi index hit 8,000 points for the first time on Friday, buoyed by an artificial intelligence-driven boom in the country's semiconductor industry.
The index briefly jumped above the milestone during morning trade, marking the latest high in a meteoric rise from around 2,600 points just a year ago.
South Korea is home to tech giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, key suppliers of high-performance chips powering AI infrastructure globally. Both companies reported record first-quarter earnings as demand surged.
Shares in Samsung Electronics have risen about 190% over the past six months, while SK hynix shares gained 220% in the same period. The global frenzy to build AI data centers has sent orders for their advanced, high-bandwidth memory microchips soaring.
South Korea has announced it will triple AI spending this year, aiming to join the United States and China as a top three AI power.