Japan, South Korea Stocks Open Higher; Nikkei 225, KOSPI Rise Over 1%, SoftBank Up Over 3%

TradingKey - On September 30, Japanese and South Korean stock markets moved higher in tandem in early trading, with tech stocks showing active performance. Japan's Nikkei 225 Index (JPN225) opened 0.99% higher at 66,128.59 points, before extending gains to 1.33% at 66,350.59 points; South Korea's KOSPI Index opened 1.06% higher at 6,943.47 points, and subsequently traded up 1.03% at 6,941.91 points.

Source: TradingView

South Korean semiconductor stocks maintained their strong momentum, with SK Hynix rising 1.93% in early trading to 1.799 million won (approximately $1,328), and Samsung Electronics advancing 0.83% to 275,000 won. In the Japanese market, SoftBank Group climbed 3.68% in early trading to 6,257 yen (approximately $40), while Kioxia gained 0.98% to 18,055 yen.

Overnight, the three major U.S. stock indices edged lower, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 0.26%, the S&P 500 dropping 0.17%, and the Nasdaq Composite Index dipping 0.09%. However, the memory chip sector remained relatively firm, with Micron Technology (MU) rising over 1% and SK Hynix (SKHY) gaining more than 2%.

On the news front, U.S. President Trump met with executives from several tech companies in Washington on September 29 and announced the signing of a voluntary agreement related to artificial intelligence. Reuters reported that the agreement requires companies to review the control and monitoring mechanisms of AI systems through independent assessment organizations and to strengthen relevant safety measures. Trump described the agreement as "in a sense, something like a constitution."

In addition, Trump proposed considering the establishment of a committee of about 10 people to oversee AI safety and related developments. Meanwhile, he asked U.S. government agencies to use the term "Super Intelligence" instead of "Artificial Intelligence" in relevant expressions.