TOKYO, Japan - Asian stock markets ended Thursday with starkly contrasting performances, as South Korea's KOSPI index posted a staggering gain of more than 8 percent while Chinese markets tumbled into the red.

The Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong finished lower, falling 264.60 points, or 1.03 percent, to close at 25,386.52. The index traded between a low of 25,341.73 and a high of 25,833.71, remaining well below its 52-week peak of 28,056.10.

In a dramatic session, South Korea's KOSPI Composite Index surged an extraordinary 606.64 points, soaring 8.42 percent to end at 7,815.59. The rally came on heavy volume of 621,082, bringing the index closer to its 52-week high of 8,046.78.

In Japan on Thursday, the Nikkei 225 also saw strong gains, jumping 1,879.73 points, or 3.1 percent, to settle at 61,684.14.

Elsewhere in the region, Taiwan's TWSE Capitalization Weighted Stock Index climbed 1,347.39 points, a gain of 3.37 percent, to finish at 41,368.21.

Australian benchmarks also advanced. The S&P/ASX 200 rose 125.10 points, or 1.47 percent, to 8,621.70, while the broader ALL Ordinaries added 123.80 points, or 1.42 percent, closing at 8,840.80.

Across the Tasman, New Zealand's S&P/NZX 50 Index gained 117.04 points, or 0.92 percent, ending at 12,878.07.

In Singapore, the STI Index edged up by a marginal 0.80 points, or 0.02 percent, to 5,045.71.

On the losing side, mainland China's SSE Composite Index dropped 84.91 points, or 2.04 percent, closing at 4,077.28 on turnover of 4.002 billion shares.

In India, the S&P BSE Sensex slipped 135.03 points, or 0.18 percent, to finish at 75,183.36, well off its 52-week high of 86,159.02.

Indonesia's IDX Composite fell sharply Thursday, losing 223.56 points, or 3.54 percent, to close at 6,094.94.

In Malaysia, the FTSE Bursa KLCI also declined, down 9.33 points, or 0.54 percent, ending at 1,708.36.

Traders noted that volatility across the region remained high, with Seoul's tech-heavy rally contrasting sharply with weakness in Chinese financial and property stocks.

(This report incorporates quotes retrieved with the assistance of artificial intelligence).