The KOSPI and KOSDAQ indexes ended lower on the 30th. While the U.S. stock market rose the previous day, appearing to bring a tailwind to the domestic stock market, uncertainty over U.S.-China tariff negotiations increased, dampening investor sentiment.
The KOSPI index closed at 2,556.61, down 8.81 points (0.34%) from the previous trading day. Starting off slightly lower, the KOSPI index attempted to rebound with a rally in early trading, briefly recovering the 2,570 level in the morning. However, foreign investors and institutions showed simultaneous selling pressure, leading to a slight decline at the close.
The KOSDAQ index ended at 717.24, down 9.22 points (1.27%) from the previous trading day. The KOSDAQ index showed a similar trend. It attempted to rise during the trading session, but ultimately closed lower as foreign investors and institutions engaged in net selling.
In the KOSPI market, the top market capitalization stocks all fell. Samsung Electronics and Hanwha Aerospace, which announced their first-quarter earnings on the day, as well as SK hynix and Hyundai Motor, all dropped around 1%. In particular, as investor sentiment deteriorated regarding the battery sector, LG Energy Solution saw a drop of more than 7%.
In the KOSDAQ market, except for three stocks—ECOPRO BM, HLB, and CLASSYS—that saw slight increases, seven of the top market capitalization stocks closed lower. Notably, ECOPRO BM appeared to be under pressure, as forecasts emerged in the securities sector suggesting that it would be significantly impacted by U.S. tariff policies.
The political theme stocks stirred once again a day before the Supreme Court ruling on Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea's presidential candidate, regarding his public election law violation case. In the KOSDAQ market, Hyungji Global, Sangji Construction, and Hyungji Elite recorded their upper limit prices, with Hyungji Elite closing up 27.64%.
In the stock market, the uncertainty surrounding tariff negotiations between the U.S. and China acted as a crisis factor. Lee Jae-won, a researcher at Shinhan Investment Corp., noted, "The tariff concerns, which are a key issue in April, are not worsening to the worst-case scenario, but the uncertainty remains. Confirmation of the easing of tariff concerns and the return of foreign funds is necessary."
Scott Bessent, the U.S. Treasury Minister, stated the previous night, "We will establish 18 important trade relationships in the coming weeks," adding that "17 countries are moving forward, excluding China."
On this day, the won-dollar exchange rate shows a decrease of 13.9 won, standing at 1,420.1 won.