▲ This photo taken Aug. 5, 2026, shows the dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul during morning trading hours. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Aug. 5 (Yonhap) -- Seoul shares soared by more than 3.5 percent Wednesday as easing concerns over the profitability of artificial intelligence (AI) investments and hopes for an interim agreement between the United States and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz boosted investor sentiment.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) soared 3.76 percent, or 239.31 points, to close at 6,598.26, after reaching an intraday high of 6,674.66.

The index rose 1.62 percent Tuesday after plunging 5.12 percent the previous day.

The Korea Exchange (KRX) activated a buy-side sidecar for the KOSPI for five minutes at 9:25 a.m. after the index surged on gains in technology stocks.

Overnight, U.S. stocks advanced as investors bet that a possible agreement to reopen the crucial shipping route could extend the recent decline in oil prices and ease inflationary pressures.

Strong quarterly earnings from major companies, including enterprise software firm Palantir Technologies, also helped ease concerns over heavy investment in the AI sector by major technology companies.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.71 percent to 54,085.88, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite climbed 2.59 percent to 26,584.99.

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