[KOSPI Closing: Market Dips to 2,620; KOSDAQ Follows Suit]

# South Korean Kospi Index Ends Four-Day Rally, Closes at 2,621 The South Korean Kospi index concluded its four-session winning streak on May 15, decreasing by 19.21 points or 0.73%, to settle at 2,621.36. The index opened at 2,634.50 and steadily declined throughout the afternoon trading session. In the main bourse, institutional investors sold off shares worth 385.7 billion won, while retail investors remained net buyers, acquiring 71 billion won. Notably, foreign investors extended their buying streak to seven consecutive sessions with a net purchase of 266.3 billion won. # Major Market Movers Among blue-chip stocks, Samsung Electronics experienced intraday volatility before closing 0.17% lower. SK Hynix fell sharply, dropping 2.67% to close at 200,500 won. Other market heavyweights like LG Energy Solution, Samsung Biologics, Hyundai Motor, and Kia also reported losses. On the upside, selective gains were seen in Hanwha Ocean (+1.26%), Hanwha Aerospace (+0.24%), HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (+0.12%), and KB Financial (+0.21%). # Hanjin KAL Faces Volatility Amid Unrest Hanjin KAL, which had hit its daily price ceiling for two consecutive sessions due to speculation over a potential management rights dispute, plummeted 17%. Its preferred shares, however, continued to attract interest, surging 15.8%. Meanwhile, HMM rallied 6.49% on robust first-quarter earnings and optimism over easing trade tensions. # Kosdaq Index Also Declines The Kosdaq index experienced a similar fate, dropping 5.82 points to close at 733.23, down 0.79%. Opening at 738.15, the index remained in negative territory throughout the day. Foreign investors were net sellers, offloading 119.9 billion won, while retail and institutional investors bought 124.5 billion won and 14 billion won, respectively. Leading the declines were heavyweights like EcoPro BM, EcoPro, and HLB. Nonetheless, selective gains were registered by Hugoel (+1.16%), Peptron (+1.51%), and RicochemBio (+4.07%). # Standout Performances SAMG Entertainment soared 22.05%, continuing its rally after reporting strong first-quarter earnings. JYP Entertainment gained 7.09% due to favorable expectations for its second-quarter performance. # Analyst's Insight Kyung-min Lee, an analyst at Daishin Securities, commented, “Following a sustained rally driven by easing U.S.-China trade tensions, the market appears to be taking a breather in the absence of new catalysts.” Broader Asian markets also exhibited weakness under similar sentiments. # Currency Markets In the foreign exchange market, the South Korean won strengthened significantly against the U.S. dollar. The won-dollar exchange rate fell by 25.7 won to end at 1,394.5 won per dollar in Seoul trading.