• 
  Asian stocks slip as Middle East tensions offset truce optimism SEOUL, April 09 (AJP) -Asian stocks edged lower Thursday as the celebratory mood over a temporary truce between the U.S. and Iran faded just a day after the agreement. The benchmark KOSPI fell 1.61 percent, or 94.33 points, to close at 5,778.01, after trading between a high of 5,862.41 and a low of 5,757.49. Foreign investors led the selling, offloading 874.7 billion won ($590 million), while retail and institutional investors bought a combined 504.8 billion won. Among l April 9, 2026
• 
  Asian markets retreat after truce rally; Kospi slips by Samsung block sale SEOUL, April 09 (AJP) - Asian markets opened broadly lower on Thursday, giving back some of the previous session's sharp gains after the United States and Iran effectively agreed to a Pakistan-mediated two-week truce. As investors monitored the course of Washington-Tehran negotiations, South Korean stocks were weighed by profit-taking following Wednesday’s sharp jump and a large block sale of Samsung Electronics shares. The main index fell 0.99 percent to 5,814.40, April 9, 2026
• 
  Battery makers expected to post Q1 losses, but optimism remains on ESS demand SEOUL, April 9 (AJP) - South Korea's three major battery makers are expected to post weak first-quarter results amid slowing demand for electric vehicles. According to data compiled by financial information provider FnGuide, Samsung SDI, SK On, and LG Energy Solution are projected to post operating losses for the first three months of this year. Samsung SDI is estimated to have posted an operating loss of 263.5 billion won ($196 million), while SK On is expected to report a l April 9, 2026
• 
  NPS holding in Korean stocks stretches $54 bn Q1 thanks to chip names SEOUL, April 09 (AJP) -South Korea’s National Pension Service, one of the world's largest with 1,540.4 trillion won worth assets under management as of January, saw its value of its holdings in domestic equities stretch by 80 trillion won ($54 billion) in the first quarter thanks to the spikes in memory stocks. According to financial data tracker FnGuide, the NPS stakes in 291 listed companies subject to disclosure with holding ratio of more than 5 percent were value April 9, 2026
• 
  FX intervention joins as the truce in Middle East provides relief in Korean market SEOUL, April 08 (AJP) - The relief over bombardment in the Gulf brought long-awaited relief to the South Korean won and bonds, and the truce amplified Seoul’s intervention campaign, according to traders. The won closed at 1,470.6 per dollar, returning below the 1,500 level for the first time in 12 trading days. The 33.6 won gain marked the steepest daily move in about three months, since a 33.8 won jump on Dec. 24 last year amid heavy intervention. The conditional cease April 8, 2026
• 
  Hormuz reopening hopes spark 7% KOSPI surge as oil plunges SEOUL, April 08 (AJP) - The prospect of the Strait of Hormuz reopening under a two-week ceasefire ignited Asian markets on Wednesday, sending South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI soaring nearly 7 percent. The index, after jumping as high as 5,919.60, closed up 6.9 percent at 5,872.3. A buy-side sidecar was triggered shortly after the open as the KOSPI 200 surged more than 5 percent at the opening bell. The rally was driven by a sharp reversal in global energy markets. Brent crud April 8, 2026
• 
  KOSPI surges over 6%, USD-KRW falls under 1,500 on Hormuz reopening news SEOUL, April 8 (AJP) — South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI zoomed above 5,800 by flying 6 percent upon the opening bell Wednesday on expectations of the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as a part of the ceasefire terms of the United States that Tehran reportedly accepted. The main index opened sharply higher, jumping 6.56 percent to 5,855.29, while the tech-heavy KOSDAQ rose 4.13 percent to 1,079.58. Japan’s Nikkei 225 also climbed more than 4 percent. A buy-side s April 8, 2026
• 
  UPDATE: Korea's C/A at record high, foreign invest dip steepest in Feb *Updated with additional information SEOUL, April 8 (AJP) — South Korea's current account surplus reached a historic monthly high in February, crossing the $20 billion mark for the first time since records began and will stay largely insulated from the Middle East-driven oil and dollar spike at least through March, the central bank said Wednesday. Bank of Korea (BOK) data showed the February current account posted a record $23.19 billion surplus, surpassing the previo April 8, 2026
• 
  Asian stocks edge up as markets brace for Trump's Iran deadline SEOUL, April 07 (AJP) - Asian equities ended mostly higher Tuesday, though gains were limited as investors held back ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s self-imposed nighttime deadline for Iran. South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI rose 0.82 percent to 5,494.78 after swinging between gains and losses through the session. The rebound was helped by renewed foreign buying following Samsung Electronics’ blockbuster first-quarter earnings, which placed it among the world& April 7, 2026
• 
  Another bio boom burst looms over KOSDAQ SEOUL, April 07 (AJP) - Boom-and-bust cycles have long defined Korea’s bio stocks, and the latest episode has unfolded around generic and specialty drugmaker Sam Chun Dang Pharm. Sam Chun Dang closed Tuesday at 519,000 won ($345), down 16.02 percent on the day. From its closing high of 1.184 million won on March 30, the stock has plunged more than 56 percent — a sharp reversal after an earlier surge of nearly 400 percent from around 270,000 won at the start of the ye April 7, 2026