Asian Markets Surge! Kospi Index Hits All-Time High Buoyed by Stellar Technology Shares

Jakarta, VIVA — Asia-Pacific markets surged at the opening of trade on Thursday, 19 February 2026. The gains extended a rally that had built up ahead of the extended Lunar New Year holiday.

South Korea’s Kospi index rose sharply by 2.76 per cent to reach a new all-time high during the day’s session. Meanwhile, the small-cap Kosdaq index gained 0.59 per cent.

The stellar index performance was underpinned by gains in blue-chip shares. Samsung Electronics booked a 4.14 per cent jump, whilst SK Hynix rose 1.48 per cent.

Citing CNBC International, Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed 0.52 per cent, with the Topix index rising 0.39 per cent.

Hong Kong and mainland Chinese bourses remained closed for the Lunar New Year holiday.

On Wall Street, US markets closed strongly in the previous session. The S&P 500 rose 0.56 per cent to 6,881.31, buoyed by gains in major technology stocks after investors digested the minutes from the US Federal Reserve’s latest policy meeting.

The Nasdaq Composite followed with a 0.78 per cent advance to 22,753.63. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also posted a 0.26 per cent gain, closing at 49,662.66.