The benchmark KOSPI fell 0.2% to around 3,220 on Friday, ending a four-day winning streak as foreign investors turned net sellers amid lingering uncertainties over higher US tariffs on major trading partners. South Korea secured a reduced baseline rate of 15%, but officials warned it may still hit exporters’ margins. Heightened policy risks weighed on sentiment, with the prospect of higher US duties threatening to trigger broader risk-off moves across Asian equities. Domestically, steel and energy stocks led the downturn, with POSCO Holdings falling 0.5% and LG Energy Solution dropping 1.6%, while Korea Electric Power tumbled 3.2% and SK Innovation shed 0.9%. These declines offset gains in select technology names, including Naver, South Korea’s largest internet portal operator, which posted a second-quarter net profit rising nearly 50% from a year earlier. Samsung Electronics also extended gains after reports of a joint project to produce Apple’s next-generation processors in Texas.