Global Market: South Korean shares fall nearly 2% as Middle East tensions weigh on sentiment

South Korean shares fell nearly 2% on Monday as investors returned from a long weekend to renewed attacks across the Middle East, raising concerns over potential disruptions to global energy supplies.

Saudi authorities reported that one person was killed and nearly a dozen injured in a fresh attack on Riyadh's international airport on Sunday. The incident followed a Houthi-claimed strike a day earlier that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.

The benchmark KOSPI fell 114.80 points, or 1.73%, to 6,511.13 as of 0157 GMT. Chipmakers led the declines, with Samsung Electronics losing 1.43% and SK Hynix falling 2.44%.


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Among other major stocks, Samsung BioLogics dropped 1.97%, while POSCO Holdings declined 1.31%. Hyundai Motor was unchanged, while Kia Corp gained 1.69%. LG Energy Solution edged up 0.25%, bucking the broader market weakness.

Foreign investors net-sold South Korean shares worth 604.8 billion won, adding pressure on equities.

The South Korean won, however, strengthened against the US dollar, reaching its highest level since October 4, 2024. The currency traded at 1,336.1 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform, up 0.44% from its previous close of 1,342.0.

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In offshore trading, the won rose 0.3% to 1,335.6 per dollar, while its one-month non-deliverable forward contract stood at 1,334.6.

South Korean government bonds also advanced. December futures on three-year Treasury bonds gained 0.18 points to 102.68. The yield on the most liquid three-year Treasury bond fell 4.8 basis points to 3.946%, while the benchmark 10-year yield declined 6.6 basis points to 4.328%, Reuters reported.

Despite Monday's decline, the KOSPI has gained 54.51% so far this year, while the won has strengthened 7.7% against the dollar over the same period.

(Disclaimer: This article is based on inputs from agencies. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times.)