The benchmark KOSPI slipped toward 6,880 on Tuesday, extending the previous session’s losses as rising oil prices and higher US Treasury yields dampened risk appetite. The yield on the US 10‑year Treasury note climbed above 5.2%, while the 30‑year yield moved past 5.5%, both reaching multi‑year highs amid renewed Middle East tensions that fueled concerns over persistent inflation and the prospect of further interest rate hikes.
US equities also weakened overnight, with the S&P 500, Dow Jones, and Nasdaq each losing nearly 1%. In Seoul, SK hynix inched down 0.3%, while LG Energy Solution (-3.4%), Hyundai Motor (-1.7%), KB Financial Group (-1.3%), and Hanwha Aerospace (-2.4%) also registered notable declines.
Sentiment was further pressured by softer domestic business confidence. The Bank of Korea’s business sentiment index fell in September for the first time in three months, with manufacturing sentiment posting a steeper drop amid worries over fewer working days, rising raw material costs, and persistent external uncertainties.
