Kosdaq circuit breaker triggered as Korean tech stocks surge. Kospi, Nikkei rise.

South Korean and Japanese equities rallied after a weak U.S. payrolls report reduced expectations for further Federal Reserve rate hikes, boosting risk appetite across Asian chip stocks. The Kospi rose about 0.8% and snapped seven straight weeks of declines, while the Kosdaq jumped more than 5%, triggering a buy-side circuit breaker around 9:50 a.m. local time. In Japan, the Nikkei gained about 2% and the Topix rose 0.4%, but Middle East conflict uncertainty limited further upside. The move reflects a sharp repricing of Fed policy expectations and a broader AI/chip-led rebound, though Japanese shares remain more sensitive to geopolitical and oil-price risk than Korean tech names.