The South Korean Kospi index climbed as much as 2.1%, reaching a record high, buoyed by overnight gains in U.S. stocks and a pre-market report from SK Hynix showing first-quarter operating profit surged fourfold. Samsung Electronics contributed most to the index's rise, with its shares rising up to 4.8% to a historic peak. SK Hynix shares jumped as much as 3.5%, also hitting a record high, after the memory chip giant reported first-quarter operating profit that exceeded analysts' average estimates, driven by soaring demand for memory chips amid the artificial intelligence boom. The Kospi index has surged 56% so far this year. Meanwhile, the Kosdaq index, which tracks small-cap stocks, fell 0.5% after rising as much as 0.7% earlier in the session.