S.Korea, Taiwan stocks rally on AI optimism; Trump-Powell feud clouds outlook

Dealers talk near the screens showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), left, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at a dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

South Korean equities closed at a record on Monday, with Taiwan and Singapore near all-time highs on artificial intelligence-led gains, while markets weighed the impact of a criminal indictment of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

The MSCI index of emerging Asia equities advanced 0.6%. A broader index of global EM equities and a ‌subset of Asia-Pacific shares excluding Japan both rose 0.5%.