South Korean stocks began the week on a downward trend, as the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index dropped 0.29 percent in the first 15 minutes of trading. This decline came after a previous dip of over 1 percent due to reports of weaker performance by Nvidia. Meanwhile, US stocks closed higher on Friday amid growing expectations of a rate cut by the US Federal Reserve. In Seoul, major companies such as Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, Naver, and Hyundai Motor experienced losses, contributing to the overall negative performance of the market. Additionally, the local currency weakened against the US dollar, trading at 1,338.35 won.