![An electronic board showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index at a dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap)]](https://contents-cdn.viewus.co.kr/image/2025/07/CP-2023-0309/30841172.jpg)
Seoul shares kicked off higher Monday, led by gains in big-cap tech shares, amid lingering concerns over the United States’ tariff scheme.
Wall Street closed mixed on Friday as worries about the Trump administration’s tariff policies offset positive sentiment from strong U.S. retail sales data.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.32 percent, and the S&P 500 dipped 0.01 percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite inched up 0.05 percent.
Over the weekend, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick declared August 1 as a firm deadline for Washington’s reciprocal tariffs, pressuring major trading partners to swiftly conclude trade negotiations.
In Seoul, tech giant Samsung Electronics surged 2.09 percent, while its chipmaking rival SK hynix rose 0.37 percent.
Leading battery maker LG Energy Solution climbed 0.93 percent, and defense powerhouse Hanwha Aerospace advanced 0.89 percent.
Major biopharmaceutical firm Celltrion gained 1.33 percent, while steel giant Posco Holdings jumped 2.25 percent.
However, South Korea’s largest shipper HMM declined 1.2 percent.
Top automaker Hyundai Motor and leading internet portal operator Naver remained flat.
The Korean won strengthened against the U.S. dollar, trading at 1,389.9 won per dollar at 9:15 a.m., up 3.1 won from the previous session’s close. (Yonhap)
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