S.Korean shares come off record high as US-China tensions mount

Published on 10/14/2025 at 04:01 am EDT

• KOSPI falls, foreigners net buyers
• Korean won weakens against dollar
• South Korea benchmark bond yield falls

(Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:
** South Korean shares erased early gains to end lower on Tuesday, as heightening tensions between the U.S. and China weighed on shipbuilding stocks and broader market sentiment.
** The benchmark KOSPI fell 22.74 points, or 0.63%, to close at 3,561.81, after rising as much as 1.74% to an all-time high of 3,646.77.
** China announced sanctions against five U.S.-linked subsidiaries of South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean amid trade tensions between the world's two largest economies.
** Hanwha Ocean dropped 5.76%, while Hanwha Engine slipped 7.42%. Peers Samsung Heavy Industries and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries also lost more than 4% each.
** "U.S.-China tensions re-emerged as a major issue for the market after China's sanctions. Samsung Electronics also fell on profit-taking after recent gains on 'super-cycle' hopes," said Seo Sang-young, an analyst at Mirae Asset Securities.
** Samsung Electronics lost 1.82%, after rising as much as 2.89% to its highest since January 2021, even as the chipmaker forecast higher-than-expected third-quarter profit. Peer SK Hynix lost 0.84%.
** POSCO Future M rose 5.71% on an order from a global automaker to supply graphite for batteries.
** Battery maker LG Energy Solution climbed 6.94%, while Hyundai Motor and sister automaker Kia added 2.06% and 1.38%, respectively.
** Steelmaker POSCO Holdings added 2.02%, while drugmaker Samsung BioLogics rose 0.69%.
** Of the total 931 traded issues, 317 advanced and 564 declined.
** Foreigners were net buyers of shares worth 487.7 billion won ($340.1 million).
** The won was quoted at 1,432.2 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform, 0.54% below Monday's close of 1,424.5.
** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield fell 1.7 basis points to 2.537%, while the benchmark 10-year yield fell 6.1 basis points to 2.865%. ($1 = 1,434.1500 won)
 (Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Sumana Nandy) 

Sumber : Reuters