The benchmark KOSPI rose 0.39% to around 3,202 on Wednesday, reversing from the prior session’s losses on renewed US rate-cut expectations and upbeat corporate developments in advanced robotics. The index tracked Wall Street’s overnight rally reinforced prospects for September rate cuts. Further bolstering investor sentiment, Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and others joined KAI in the K-Humanoid Alliance, a state project to develop humanoid robotics for aerospace manufacturing by 2030 to automate aerospace production, boosting precision, speed, and overall cost efficiency. On the economic front, South Korea’s unemployment rate fell to 2.5% in July 2025, the second monthly drop, as the economy added over 170,000 jobs led by services and healthcare. However, employment in manufacturing, construction, and among younger workers continued to decline. Notable gains were from SK Hynix (2.23%), Kia Corporation (1.03%), Hyundai Motor (0.94%), and Samsung Electronics (0.70%).