Seoul shares snap 6-day winning streak on profit-taking; won sharply down

Market Overview - Seoul shares closed lower, ending a six-session winning streak as investors took profits in technology and large-cap stocks after recent gains [1] - The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 63.14 points, or 1 percent, to finish at 6,244.13, despite a weekly gain of 7.5 percent [1] - Heavy trading volume was recorded at 1.14 billion shares worth 52.94 trillion won (approximately US$36.8 billion), with decliners outnumbering gainers 625 to 264 [1] Performance of Key Stocks - Major technology stocks led the declines, with Samsung Electronics down 0.69 percent to 216,500 won and SK Hynix down 3.46 percent to 1,061,000 won [1] - HD Hyundai, a leading shipbuilder, dropped 1.02 percent to 292,500 won, while HMM, a shipping firm, shed 4.26 percent to 21,350 won [1] - In contrast, Hyundai Motor surged 10.67 percent to an all-time high of 674,000 won, and Hanwha Aerospace climbed 0.08 percent to 1,195,000 won [1] - POSCO Holdings, a leading steelmaker, increased by 1.35 percent to 413,000 won, and Hyundai Steel surged 19.85 percent to 46,500 won [1] Investor Activity - Institutional and retail investors purchased a net 491.99 billion won and 6.08 trillion won worth of shares, respectively, while foreign investors sold a net 6.83 trillion won [1] - The decline in the KOSPI mirrored overnight losses in U.S. technology stocks, where profit-taking occurred despite strong earnings from Nvidia Corp [1] Currency and Bond Market - The Korean won fell sharply against the U.S. dollar, quoted at 1,439.70 won, down 13.9 won from the previous session [1] - Bond prices closed higher, with the yield on three-year Treasurys falling 2.1 basis points to 3.041 percent, and the return on benchmark five-year government bonds declining 3.6 basis points to 3.278 percent [1]