The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index(KOSPI) rose for the third straight session Wednesday, driven by strong gains in Samsung Electronics and IT shares.

The KOSPI rose 21-point-89 points, or zero-point-74 percent, to close at two-thousand-972-point-19.

Despite rising Middle East tensions and Wall Street losses, investors are watching whether the KOSPI will break the three-thousand mark, as foreign buyers boost IT stocks after the Korean government’s AI investment plan and JP Morgan’s recommendation of Naver.

Naver surged 17-point-92 percent, Kakao gained six-point-56 percent, Samsung Electronics rose two-point-93 percent, and oil refinery SK Innovation jumped ten-point-98 percent amid rising international oil prices driven by the Israel-Iran conflict.

The tech-heavy KOSDAQ gained four-point-08 points, or zero-point-53 percent, to close at 779-point-73.