SEOUL, May 08 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI index closed at an all-time high for a fourth consecutive session on Friday. Domestic investors absorbed a significant sell-off by foreign funds as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East rattled regional markets.
The index edged up 0.1 percent to finish at a record 7,498.0. It fluctuated during the day between a low of 7,318.96 and an intraday record of 7,511.01.
Regional sentiment soured following reports of renewed military clashes between the United States and Iranian forces near the Strait of Hormuz. The escalation weighed on Wall Street overnight, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average sliding 0.6 percent and the S&P 500 declining 0.4 percent.
Foreign investors sold a net 5.59 trillion won (3.81 billion dollars) of KOSPI shares, marking a flight toward safe-haven assets. Domestic retail and institutional investors countered the trend by purchasing 3.98 trillion won and 1.55 trillion won, respectively.
Technology shares were mixed as global demand for artificial intelligence components provided a buffer against broader market volatility. Samsung Electronics fell 1.1 percent to 268,500 won, while SK hynix gained 1.9 percent to close at 1,686,000 won.
Automobile and robotics companies led the session's gains as investors shifted toward physical AI technologies. Hyundai Motor surged 7.2 percent to 613,000 won after its robotics affiliate, Boston Dynamics, released footage of the Atlas humanoid robot performing advanced movements.
The momentum extended to infrastructure and software firms within the automotive ecosystem. Hyundai AutoEver and Gaon Cable both surged 30 percent to close at 592,000 won and 477,000 won, respectively.
Industrial and energy sectors saw profit-taking following recent rallies. SKC plunged 8.2 percent to 159,900 won, while Samsung Heavy Industries dropped 5.2 percent to 31,950 won and Doosan Enerbility fell 5.0 percent to 129,600 won.
The tech-heavy KOSDAQ index rose 0.7 percent to close at 1,207.7, outperforming the main board. Foreign investors were net buyers on the secondary market, adding 404.4 billion won worth of shares.
Other regional markets struggled, with Japan's Nikkei 225 slipping 0.2 percent to 62,713.7. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 0.8 percent to 26,413.5 as concerns over energy disruptions persisted.
The South Korean won weakened 0.8 percent to 1,469.1 per dollar amid the rising geopolitical uncertainty. In the energy market, West Texas Intermediate crude gained 0.4 percent to end at 95.1 dollars.
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