An electronic board showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index at a dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul on Wednesday. (Yonhap) South Korean stocks opened at a new record high Wednesday, driven by strong gains in semiconductor stocks amid renewed tensions in the Middle East in search of a peace deal.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 194.61 points, or 2.42 percent, to 8,242.12 at the opening bell.The index closed at 8,047.51 on Tuesday, surpassing the 8,000-point threshold for the first time in history.It took just three weeks for the Kospi to climb from the 7,000 level reached on May 6 to the unprecedented 8,000 territory.Overnight on Wall Street, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq hit record closing highs as investors scooped up AI-related shares, while recent US strikes on Iran dampen prospects for peace in the Middle East.The S&P 500 gained 0.61 percent and the Nasdaq Composite rose 1.19 percent, while chipmaker Micron surged 19 percent to hit US$1 trillion in market value for the first time. (Yonhap)