<div id="readability-page-1" class="page"><div>By Kwanwoo Jun South Korea's benchmark stock index rose above 6000 for the first time, gaining more than 40% this year, putting it among the world's top-performing markets. Semiconductor and auto shares led Wednesday's gains as they tracked an overnight rebound in U.S. equities. The benchmark Kospi was 0.6% higher at 6006.80 in early trade. It has increased 43% this year. Index heavyweight Samsung Electronics, the world's largest memory-chip maker, was last up 1.3%. SK Hynix, a main supplier of high bandwidth memory to Nvidia, was 0.7% higher. Car manufacturers Hyundai Motor and its sibling Kia advanced 4.6% and 11%, respectively. The Kospi's rally followed a rebound on Wall Street after Monday's AI-driven selloff, as a massive chip deal between Meta Platforms and AMD eased concerns about AI's disruption to incumbent technology companies. Social-media giant Meta disclosed a plan worth over $100 billion to buy AI chips from Advanced Micro Devices, helping send the Nasdaq Composite 1.0% higher. The S&amp;P 500 and Dow industrials both gained 0.8%. Write to Kwanwoo Jun at kwanwoo.jun@wsj.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires02-24-26 2001ET</div></div>

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South Korea's Kospi index has surged over 40% this year, surpassing the 6000 mark for the first time. The index rose 0.6% to 6006.80, driven by gains in semiconductor and auto shares, following a rebound in U.S. equities. Major contributors included Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, Hyundai Motor, and Kia. This rally was influenced by a significant chip deal between Meta Platforms and AMD, which alleviated concerns about AI's impact on technology firms.

South Korea's Kospi Gains Over 40% This Year, Breaks Above 6000