Asian markets open: Kospi soars 2% to a sixth record high, Nikkei +1.5% in a stunning rally

A powerful and unified wave of “risk-on” sentiment is sweeping the globe, as a perfect storm of positive developments—from a looming trade deal breakthrough to a landmark minerals pact and a surge in the world’s biggest tech company—unleashes a stunning and record-setting rally across the Asia-Pacific.

This is a market firing on all cylinders, a broad-based and decisive rally that is feeding on a potent cocktail of diplomatic progress and pure, unadulterated bullish momentum.

The undisputed star of the session is South Korea, where the benchmark Kospi index has jumped more than 2 percent to hit a stunning sixth consecutive record high.

The rally, which has seen the index soar an incredible 61 percent year-to-date, is a direct and powerful vote of confidence in the nation’s economic future.

The catalyst for this latest leg up is the growing certainty that a long-awaited trade deal with the United States is finally on the verge of being completed.

The market is still buzzing from comments made last week by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who told CNBC that Washington was “about to finish up” its trade negotiations with the Asian nation. 

“The devil’s in the details, but we are ironing out the details,” he added.

The market has seized on this signal, sending the country’s powerhouse auto and tech sectors soaring. Shares of Hyundai Motor have climbed 6.45 percent, while the heavyweight Samsung Electronics has also added 1.73 percent.

A chorus of records: From Tokyo to Sydney

This powerful rally is not confined to Seoul. In Japan, the benchmark Nikkei 225 has jumped 1.5 percent to its own fresh record, while the broader Topix has also hit a new all-time high.

The market is simultaneously celebrating the tech-led rally on Wall Street and the growing political certainty at home, as the right-wing opposition Japan Innovation Party has signaled it is now ready to back Sanae Takaichi to become the country’s next prime minister.

In Australia, a different kind of deal is fueling the fire.

The country’s rare earth mining stocks are soaring after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Donald Trump signed a critical minerals agreement aimed at countering China’s dominance in the sector.

The news has sent shares of the industry leader Lynas Rare Earths up 3.8 percent, with some smaller players like VHM skyrocketing over 30 percent.

This broad and powerful Asian session is a direct echo of the action on Wall Street, where another strong rally in Apple shares lifted all three major benchmarks.

It is a sign that, for now, the bulls are firmly in control, and the market’s appetite for risk is as strong as it has been all year.

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