FX.co ★ Korean Shares Close Nearly 1% Lower

The benchmark KOSPI dropped 0.98% to close at 5,290.53 on Friday, surrendering earlier gains as investors grew wary about the potential impact of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s reported departure on the global AI ecosystem. The index had initially surged 2.05% at the open but reversed course and turned negative around midday. The shift in sentiment tracked overnight declines on Wall Street following the news of Huang’s exit, with the Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq slipping 0.36%, 0.35%, and 0.39%, respectively. Caution also prevailed ahead of the US producer price release, which investors are watching for additional signals on the Federal Reserve’s policy outlook after a stronger-than-expected consumer inflation reading earlier in the week. Among major names, Samsung Biologics (-0.41%), Naver (-0.33%), and LG Chem (-0.62%) retreated, while Samsung Electronics (+2.64%) and SK Hynix (+2.79%) advanced.