The benchmark KOSPI rose 0.46% to close at 6,820 on Monday, recouping part of the previous session’s losses as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix rebounded alongside gains in other major blue-chip stocks. Samsung Electronics climbed 1.17%, while SK hynix advanced 1.27%. Other large caps also strengthened, including SK Square (0.88%), Hyundai Motor (1.00%), LG Energy Solution (2.16%), KB Financial Group (0.99%), and Kia Corporation (2.34%).
Sentiment was further supported by expectations of another month of robust, semiconductor-driven export growth, with August shipments projected to increase by more than 60% year-on-year. The KOSPI was on track for a gain of over 3% for the month of August.
However, upside was capped by renewed concerns over US interest rates after hawkish remarks from Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh, which kept investors cautious. Rising geopolitical risks also weighed on risk appetite, as escalating tensions in the Middle East—following renewed US strikes near the Strait of Hormuz—added another layer of uncertainty.
