South Korean shares track Wall Street lower, but set for weekly gain

Round-up of South Korean financial markets:

South Korean shares rise, boosted by auto, steel makers

• South Korean shares fell on Friday, tracking overnight losses in Wall Street amid concerns around US tariffs, but were on track for a weekly gain.

• The benchmark KOSPI was down 11.08 points or 0.43%, at 2,565.08 as of 0148 GMT.

• The index has risen 1.3% this week, after falling 4.6% last week.

• South Korea’s acting President Choi Sang-mok said authorities would closely monitor financial markets as uncertainty was high over US tariffs.

• US stock markets fell on Thursday, with investors citing rapid-fire, back-and-forth developments on tariffs as a concern, after President Donald Trump suspended the 25% tariffs he imposed this week on most goods from Canada and Mexico.

• South Korea’s National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik asked US officials for productive consultation over tariffs during a trip to Washington D.C., South Korea’s presidential office said.

• Chipmaker Samsung Electronics fell 0.37% and peer SK Hynix lost 2.03%, but battery maker LG Energy Solution climbed 1.50%. ** Auto, e-commerce and biopharmaceutical stocks fell, but steelmakers rose.

• Of the total 939 traded issues, 455 shares advanced, while 415 declined.

• Foreigners were net sellers of shares worth 128.4 billion won ($88.8 million).

• The won was quoted at 1,446.1 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform, little changed from its previous close.

• In money and debt markets, March futures on three-year treasury bonds rose 0.08 point to 106.79.

• The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield fell 2.4 basis points to 2.570%, while the benchmark 10-year yield fell 3.8 bps to 2.768%.