The benchmark KOSPI fell 0.35% to around 5,590 on Thursday, trimming gains from the previous sessions as investors turned cautious amid renewed volatility in global energy markets. Overnight signals from Wall Street offered little support, with markets ending mixed as investors stayed on the sidelines despite a coordinated release of emergency oil reserves by major economies. South Korea plans to contribute 22.46 million barrels from its strategic reserves as part of the International Energy Agency’s 400 million-barrel release, a move aimed at easing global supply pressures. In currency markets, the won weakened sharply against the dollar, reflecting a broader risk-off mood. Investors gravitated toward the greenback as a safe-haven asset while monitoring the potential economic fallout from fluctuating oil prices. Notable decliners were Samsung Electronics (-0.74%), SK Hynix (-0.89%), Hyundai Motor (-1.32%), KB Financial (-1.32%), and Celltrion (-1.79%).
