The benchmark KOSPI rose 0.4% to around 4,150 on Thursday, recovering losses from the previous session as sentiment improved following the US Federal Reserve’s rate cut. The Fed lowered rates by 25 bps and signaled it may pause additional cuts for now, easing pressure on yields and lifting demand for growth-oriented equities. The more supportive external backdrop encouraged foreign buying and lifted interest in large-cap tech names. Samsung Electronics rose over 1%, helping to anchor the index and offsetting weakness in select chipmakers after SK Hynix came under a heightened trading alert that temporarily restricts margin buying. Additional support came from currency markets, where a firmer Korean won against the dollar drew foreign inflows and added stability to broader trading conditions. Gains were also seen in Samsung Biologics (+1.0%), Doosan Enerbility (+2.5%), Kia Corp (+0.9%), and KB Financial Group (+1.5%), while SK Hynix (-0.5%) and Hyundai Motor (-0.4%) recorded losses.
