Japan's snap election prospects lift Nikkei, boosting Asian markets

Graphics by AJP Song Ji-yoonSEOUL, January 13 (AJP) - Asian stock markets opened higher on Tuesday, led by a surge in Japan's Nikkei 225 amid speculations of a snap election in Tokyo. The vote is expected to strengthen Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's expansionary fiscal policies, boosting investor sentiment across the region.

The Japanese index jumped about 3.4 percent to around 53,720 in early morning trade, buoyed by gains in exporters and technology shares.

The rally helped lift broader Asian markets, as investors continued to favor stocks related to robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and other technologies even after this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) wrapped up last week.

In Seoul, the KOSPI opened higher, hitting a fresh all-time high of 4,666 shortly after trading began, up about 0.9 percent from the previous session, while the tech-heavy KOSDAQ slipped roughly 0.1 percent to around 949.1.

Among blue-chip stocks, Samsung Electronics rose about 0.5 percent to around 139,500 won, while LG Energy Solution gained roughly 0.8 percent to about 382,000 won. Shares of automakers were among the top performers, with Hyundai Motor surging approximately 7.6 percent to around 395,000 won, extending its rally for three consecutive days after unveiling its physical AI and autonomous driving at the CES.

Defense-related shares also remained strong, with Hanwha Aerospace rising about 1.7 percent to around 1,233,000 won. Lotte Innovate also moved higher after unveiling plans to integrate its proprietary "i.MEMBER" AI platform into humanoid robots developed by China's Unitree, also showcased at the CES.

But the South Korean won weakened against the greenback, trading at around 1,472 per dollar.

Elsewhere in Asia, most markets remained higher, with some mixed results in early trading, while China's Shanghai Composite slipped about 0.6 percent to around 4,141 as investors took profits following the recent rally.
Ryu Yuna Reporter Julia37@ajupress.com