South Korea's benchmark Kospi index topped 8,000 points for the first time Friday (May 15), buoyed by an artificial intelligence-driven boom in the country's semiconductor industry. The index briefly jumped above the milestone during morning trade. It marked the latest high point in a meteoric rise for the Kospi, which was trading at around 2,600 points just a year ago. South Korea is home to tech giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix - key suppliers of high-performance chips that power AI