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Korean stocks opened sharply higher Thursday, briefly topping the 5,000-point mark for the first time in history. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) increased 83.07 points, or 1.69 percent, to 4,993 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The benchmark index surpassed the historic 5,000 level for the first time shortly after the market opened. Overnight, U.S. stocks climbed, recovering a significant portion of losses in the previous session after U.S. President Donald Trump retracted his earlier plan to impose Greenland-related tariffs on eight European nations. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.21 percent, and the S&P 500 added 1.16 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index increased 1.18 percent. In Seoul, most large-cap shares were trading higher. Chip giant Samsung Electronics jumped 3.61 percent, and rival SK hynix went up 2.91 percent. Leading battery maker LG Energy Solution rose 3.17 percent. Auto shares were also higher. Industry leader Hyundai Motor surged 3.64 percent, while its affiliate Kia went up 0.06 percent. The local currency was trading at 1,468.15 won per U.S.