KOSPI regained the 7,000 level on Friday, ending above the threshold for the first time in five trading sessions as a late rebound erased earlier losses. The benchmark index added 32.39 points, or 0.46 percent, to finish at 7,003.74. After opening 33.08 points, or 0.47 percent, lower at 6,938.27, it extended its decline to as much as 0.62 percent. The index then swung between gains and losses before moving higher toward the close. Early selling reflected profit-taking ahead of the National Foundation Day holiday and caution over U.S. Treasury yields. Buying interest subsequently recovered, drawing support from an overnight rise in U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor shares following Micron’s strong earnings. “The market paused after the previous day’s KOSPI rally, with little fresh news from Wall Street overnight,” Kang Jin-hyuk, an analyst at Shinhan Securities, said. “A retreat in U.S. Treasury yields after an intraday rise helped steady sentiment, while a Federal Reserve official’s reluctance to rush into further rate hikes offered some relief.” Wall Stre