18.08.202606:47:43UTC+00South Korean Shares End Lower

The benchmark KOSPI fell 1.55% to close at 6,870 on Tuesday, breaking a five-session winning streak, as waning expectations for a US-Iran deal triggered profit-taking after a sharp semiconductor-driven rally. Foreign investors remained net buyers of Korean equities, while retail investors and institutions were net sellers, indicating that the decline was driven more by profit-taking than by a broad withdrawal from Korean assets.

Among major constituents, Samsung Electronics slipped 2.00%, while SK Square (-2.17%), Hyundai Motor (-4.42%), LG Energy Solution (-5.01%), Hanwha Aerospace (-1.29%), Kia Corporation (-3.39%), HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (-4.12%), and Doosan Enerbility (-5.57%) also recorded notable losses.

At the macro level, renewed uncertainty surrounding the US-Iran agreement pushed oil prices higher and reignited inflation concerns, while elevated US Treasury yields further weighed on global risk appetite. In addition, ongoing US–Korea trade talks regarding the planned US$200 billion investment commitment continued to be a source of uncertainty for Korean exporters.