The South Korean and Japanese stock markets concluded the first half of the year with significant gains, driven by robust demand for AI memory chips. The South Korean KOSPI index closed up approximately 1% today, contributing to a cumulative gain of about 100% for the first half, with the index reaching a historical high of 9385. Key contributors to this surge were Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which saw their stocks rise by about 180% and 310% respectively year-to-date. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 index increased by approximately 40% this year, while the TOPIX index rose about 17%. The growth was fueled by factors such as corporate reform and the semiconductor supply chain boom. Notably, tech stocks led the charge, with Advantest, a chip testing equipment manufacturer, rising about 65%, and Tokyo Electron, a chip manufacturing equipment vendor, soaring over 120%.