Stocks end higher on chip gains amid hopes for shareholder return plans

Seoul stocks tad higher late Friday morning on chip gains - The Korea Times

Samsung plans 110T won return; SK Hynix buyback lifts KOSPI +0.61%. Kakao crashes 10.72% spinning KakaoTalk into AI-focused company. Capital returns signal weak R&D outlook. Kakao's split tracks enterprise pivot toward AI-driven messaging.