15.05.202601:36:59UTC+00South Korean Shares Pull Back From 8,000

The benchmark KOSPI fell more than 1% to around 7,880 on Friday, pulling back from record highs near 8,000 as investors took profits following a sharp AI-driven rally. Sentiment was further pressured by worries over the index’s heavy concentration in large semiconductor names and by risks tied to a planned strike at Samsung Electronics’ chip division next week. Even so, optimism around the Trump–Xi summit in Beijing helped limit losses, with both leaders signaling a commitment to stable relations and agreeing to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, easing concerns about global energy supplies. Expectations that an improvement in US–China relations could bolster Korean semiconductor exports to China also lent support, while overnight gains in major global AI-related stocks reinforced confidence in the AI boom. Among large caps, performance was mixed: Samsung Electronics (-1.0%), Doosan Enerbility (-1.8%), and Hanwha Aerospace (-4.5%) declined, while Hyundai Motor (7.6%) and LG Energy Solution (1.6%) advanced.