The KOSPI traded above 7,000 on Sept. 8 for the first time in 15 sessions, opening at 7,045.79, up 50.40 points, or 0.72%, according to the Korea Exchange. The move followed a 4.61% jump in the previous session, when the index closed at 6,995.39 after chipmakers rallied on expectations for stronger artificial-intelligence computing and high-performance memory demand following OpenAI's release of its new model, Astra. Retail investors were net buyers of 57.4 billion won on the main board, while foreign and institutional investors sold 60.3 billion won and 4.2 billion won, respectively. Whether foreign buying resumes after exceeding 5 trillion won in the previous session, and whether profit-taking emerges, are key factors for the index's direction. Samsung Electronics and SK hynix opened higher, while LG Energy Solution, KB Financial Group and Hanwha Aerospace gained. The KOSDAQ opened 0.35% higher at 825.03, with EcoPro, EcoPro BM, Jusung Engineering and Wonik IPS advancing. U.S. markets were closed for Labor Day, while European shares were mixed amid higher oil prices and caution ahead of the European Central Bank's policy meeting.