FX.co ★ South Korean Shares Close at Record High

The benchmark KOSPI edged up 0.15% on Tuesday to close at a record high of 8,801, as strength in technology stocks offset profit-taking and broader market caution. Samsung Electronics advanced 3.15%, while SK Square jumped 6.13%. Market sentiment was buoyed by optimism over artificial intelligence demand after Nvidia unveiled a new AI-focused chip and discussed AI memory collaboration with SK Group, reinforcing expectations of continued resilience in South Korea’s semiconductor sector. However, further gains were capped by concerns over rising inflation and elevated oil prices. South Korea’s annual inflation rate quickened to 3.1% in May, its highest level in more than two years, bolstering expectations that the Bank of Korea may maintain a hawkish policy stance for an extended period. Investors also tracked renewed uncertainty surrounding US–Iran negotiations, which kept energy prices elevated and weighed on risk appetite.