KOSPI Opens Down 0.90% at 5,819

South Korea's main stock index, the KOSPI, opened lower on the 9th after a significant gain the previous day, as profit-taking emerged. International tensions somewhat eased with the US postponing attacks on Iran for two weeks, but the domestic stock market showed weakness. As of 9:01 AM, the KOSPI stood at 5,819.42, down 52.92 points (0.90%) from the previous day, with investor sentiment appearing subdued despite the easing geopolitical risks.

Overnight, the New York stock markets closed higher across the board, reflecting the easing tensions between the US and Iran. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 2.85%, the S&P 500 gained 2.51%, and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 2.80%. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index surged 6.34%.

International oil prices declined. With the easing of geopolitical tensions, the price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for May delivery fell by $18.54 (16.41%) to close at $94.41.

In terms of trading volume, individual investors and foreign investors were net sellers. On the KOSPI market, individuals sold net 53.3 billion won worth of shares, and foreigners sold net 195.1 billion won, while institutions bought net 232.6 billion won.

Among top market capitalization stocks, Samsung Electronics fell 2.38%, and SK Hynix dropped 2.23%. LG Energy Solution rose 0.25%, Samsung Biologics gained 0.38%, and Kia increased by 0.82%. The KOSDAQ index fell 3.16 points (0.29%) to 1,086.69.

Mirae Asset Securities pointed to changes in tight financial conditions due to a strong dollar and rising oil prices as a burden. They analyzed that the trend of oil and gasoline prices would be the key variable determining the short-term market direction.