SEOUL, April 22 (AJP) - Asian markets mostly closed higher on Wednesday, with South Korea's benchmark KOSPI closing above the 6,400 mark for the first time, despite fresh uncertainties over the prolonged conflict in the Middle East after another round of talks between the U.S. and Iran was postponed indefinitely.
The KOSPI rose 0.46 percent to close at a record 6,417.93 points, while the junior KOSDAQ gained 0.18 percent to finish at 1,181.12.
Among large-cap tech shares, Samsung Electronics slipped 0.68 percent to 217,500 won and SK hynix also edged down 0.08 percent to 1,223,000 won.
Battery makers traded mixed, with LG Energy Solution rising 1.36 percent to 484,500 won and Samsung SDI gaining 2.17 percent to 659,000 won. Automakers were subdued, with Hyundai Motor falling 0.92 percent to 541,000 won, while Kia was flat at 160,000 won.
Defense and industrial shares advanced, led by Hanwha Aerospace, up 1.80 percent to 1,416,000 won, while HD Hyundai Heavy Industries surged 11.28 percent to 641,000 won. Samsung Electro-Mechanics jumped 5.18 percent to 812,000 won, while Samsung Biologics fell 1.70 percent to 1,561,000 won.
Despite the index extending its rally overall, up 52 percent since the start of this year, the entertainment sector has moved in the opposite direction, with shares of the four major entertainment companies falling more than 20 percent on average.
SM Entertainment posted the steepest decline. Its shares fell 31.33 percent over the past four months, from around 130,000 won at the start of the year to 92,700 won on Wednesday. Over the same period, shares of HYBE dropped 24.24 percent, while YG Entertainment fell 21.47 percent and JYP Entertainment declined 12.67 percent, leaving the sector largely sidelined from the broader equity rally.
The South Korean won remained stable, trading at 1,478 won against the dollar, compared with the previous close of 1,476 won.
Elsewhere in Asia, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 closed at a record high, supported by continued buying in artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor-related shares. The index rose 0.4 percent from the previous session to finish at 59,585.86, surpassing its prior record close of 59,518.34 set on April 16.
The gains were led in part by technology heavyweights, including SoftBank Group, whose shares surged 8.47 percent to 5,620 yen.
China's Shanghai Composite rose 0.52 percent to 4,106.26, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 1.22 percent to 26,163.24.
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