Japanese and South Korean stock markets opened significantly higher on Thursday, driven by U.S. economic data that alleviated inflation concerns. The Nikkei 225 surged 959.57 points, or 1.77%, to 55,205.11. Meanwhile, South Korea's KOSPI jumped 157.3 points, or 3.09%, reaching 5,250.84. This rebound follows a sharp decline in both indices the previous day, with the Nikkei and KOSPI closing down 3.6% and 12%, respectively.