On Thursday, Seoul's stock market saw a decline, driven by concerns about potential restrictions on chip sales to China by the United States, particularly impacting tech stocks. This led to a drop in the local currency against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) closed at 2,824.35, marking a decrease of 0.67 percent. The trading volume was relatively high, with 632.9 million shares valued at 15.1 trillion won ($10.9 billion), and a higher number of losers (602) compared to winners (275). Foreign investors sold local shares worth 381 billion won, while retail investors and institutions collectively bought 417 billion won worth of shares. The decline in the Seoul stock market was attributed to the significant drop in US semiconductor stocks, as well as uncertainties stemming from US policies. This resulted in chip and tech share losses, with notable companies such as SK hynix and LG Electronics experiencing declines. However, Samsung Electronics managed to recover from earlier losses and saw a slight increase in late trading. Other sectors, including battery, automotive, and bio-related stocks, also faced setbacks. The local currency traded at 1,381.7 won against the US dollar, reflecting a slight decrease from the previous session.