Nikkei 225 Opens Up 0.6%, Kospi Gains 2.1%

The Kospi's outsized open relative to the Nikkei, paired with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix each rising 3%, points to memory-chip names driving the move rather than broad regional sentiment. That concentration matters because it leaves the index's early strength tied to a narrow set of large-cap tech stocks. Whether the gains hold through the session, or fade once the chip-led pop is absorbed, is the open question.