The KOSPI index opened higher on September 9 despite worsening macroeconomic conditions linked to Middle East tensions, rising 37.73 points, or 0.54%, to 6,992.25 as of 9:03 a.m. Individual investors were net buyers of 75.9 billion Korean won, while foreign and institutional investors recorded net sales of 51 billion won and 38.7 billion won. Other financial institutions were net buyers of 13.8 billion won, including share buyback volumes from Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. SK Hynix gained 0.67% and Samsung Electronics rose 0.09%, while most large-cap stocks traded firmly within a sideways range. The move came after U.S. stocks fell overnight as renewed Middle East tensions, a reported retaliatory attack claim by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels against Saudi Aramco facilities and air bases, and supply concerns pushed November-delivery Brent crude futures to $97.92 per barrel and the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield above 4.8%. AI-related shares were mixed but several advanced, including Intel, AMD and SK Hynix American Depositary Receipts. Kiwoom Securities researcher Han Ji-young said semiconductor and AI narratives had recovered since the release of GPT-6 and that KOSPI earnings estimates remained intact. The KOSDAQ rose 9.69 points, or 1.19%, to 821.57, with individual and foreign investors buying a net 7.4 billion won and 1 billion won, respectively. Institutions sold a net 8.3 billion won. Alteogen fell 2% after one of its new drug candidates secured by Novartis failed a phase 3 clinical trial, while EcoPro, Jusung Engineering, Wonik IPS, Simmtech and HPSP each rose more than 2%.