▲ A dealing room at Hana Bank in Seoul on May 28, 2026 (Yonhap)

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(LEAD) KOSPI opens lower amid AI rally pause, mixed U.S.-Iran signals

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SEOUL, May 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks opened lower Thursday as a rally led by artificial intelligence (AI) took a breather as tensions increased again on news that U.S. launched fresh strikes against Iran.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 113.09 points, or 1.37 percent, to 8,115.61 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

The index closed at a record high of 8,288.7 on Wednesday, extending its winning streak to the fourth consecutive session on the back of a strong rally led by major semiconductor shares, including Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. The landmark 8,000-point feat was achieved Tuesday.

The KOSPI, however, started weak as blue chip shares took a breather after their recent rally and on news that the U.S. carried out new strikes targeting an Iranian military site, dampening hopes for an imminent peace deal between the two sides.

Overnight, major U.S. indexes closed at record highs over prospects that the war between the U.S. and Iran is nearing an end after an Iranian media company reported a draft interim deal between the two sides, which included the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.36 percent, the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite edged up 0.07 percent, and the S&P 500 gained 0.02 percent.

In Seoul, market top-cap Samsung Electronics dipped 1.87 percent, while its chipmaking rival SK hynix slipped 2.45 percent.

AI investment firm SK Square slid 3.37 percent.

Major shipbuilders kicked off weak, with HD Hyundai Heavy losing 2.15 percent and Hanwha Ocean plunging 6.45 percent.

Defense giant Hanwha Aerospace also retreated 3.46 percent.

On the other hand, battery and auto shares were strong.

Leading battery maker LG Energy Solution surged 12.65 percent, and its smaller rival Samsung SDI rose 3.97 percent.

Top automaker Hyundai Motor gained 2.35 percent, its sister Kia added 2.61 percent, and its auto parts-making affiliate Hyundai Mobis jumped 4.36 percent.

Samsung Electro-Mechanics also went up 2.02 percent.

The Korean won was trading at 1,505.4 won against the U.S. dollar at 9:15 a.m., down 4.2 won from the previous session.

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