The benchmark KOSPI held flat to around 3,210 on Monday, steadying after last week’s gains as investors turned cautious ahead of Tuesday’s expiry of the 90-day US–China tariff truce. The prospect of renewed US tariff increases on Chinese goods has heightened concerns over potential disruptions to global supply chains. Sentiment was further weighed by trade data showing South Korea’s exports fell 4.3% year-on-year in the first 10 days of August to $14.7 billion, while imports dropped 13.6% to $15.9 billion, resulting in a $1.2 billion trade deficit. The decline was led by weaker petroleum and automobile exports. In the corporate sector, notable losers were Hanwha Ocean (-6.54%), Naver (-1.53%), Samsung Electronics (-0.70%), and Hyundai Motor (-0.24%), while Doosan Enerbility (3.92%), SK Hynix (2.44%), and LG Energy Solution (0.92%) saw gains.