The benchmark KOSPI slipped 0.63% to around 3,561 on Tuesday, retreating from a record high earlier in the session as renewed US–China trade frictions weighed on investor sentiment. The market lost momentum after China sanctioned five US units of South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean in response to Washington’s probe into Beijing’s shipbuilding dominance, raising concerns that South Korea could be caught in the crossfire of escalating trade disputes. The move came as President Trump threatened additional tariffs on Chinese imports, while Beijing raised port fees on US vessels and tightened mineral export curbs. The renewed tensions dampened risk appetite across Asia, prompting profit-taking in major technology names. On the corporate front, Samsung Electronics fell 1.82%, SK Hynix lost 0.84%, and Hanwha Aerospace dropped 6.04%. Earlier in the session, shares had advanced after Samsung reported stronger-than-expected earnings, its largest in over three years.