The benchmark KOSPI climbed 2.75% to around 5,502 on Thursday, extending gains for a fourth consecutive session to a new all-time high, fueled by domestic momentum in equities. Semiconductor stocks led the gains, with Samsung Electronics rising 4.11% and SK Hynix up 3.26%, while AI-focused SK Square surged 5.64%. Financials also contributed, with Shinhan Financial gaining 3.87% and KB Financial up 0.67%. Kakao Corp also advanced, up 1.53% after its board approved reappointing CEO Chung Shin-a for two more years. The company narrowed its Q4 net loss to 39.3 billion won from 395.2 billion won a year earlier. In contrast, gains were partially restrained by overnight losses on Wall Street following the release of strong US jobs data for January. The report, combined with expectations that the Federal Reserve may hold interest rates steady, weighed on global equities. Investors are awaiting Friday’s US consumer price data for clues on the Fed’s next policy move.