Seoul shares down 3.6 pct late Thurs. morning on Trump's renewed Iran warning | Yonhap News Agency

## Summary
In a prime-time address earlier in the day, Trump said, "We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks" and would "bring them back to the Stone Age," warning that energy facilities in Iran could be targeted if a deal is not reached. President Donald Trump delivering a public address on the Iran conflict on April 2, 2026. (Yonhap) In Seoul, most big-cap shares drifted lower. Korean currency falls ahead of Trump's address on Iran war (3rd LD) Trump claims Iran's president has asked for ceasefire; Iran denies it Keywords #KOSPI #stocks Articles with issue keywords Most Liked Oscar-winning 'KPop Demon Hunters' directors promise 'bigger,' more 'eventful' sequel (2nd LD) Han Kang's 'We Do Not Part' wins NBCC Award for haunting portrayal of trauma (News Focus) Han Kang's NBCC win again spotlights art of translation Paik Kun-woo, at 80, says 'Music chose me' (Movie Review) 'Salmokji: Whispering Water': mood runs deeper than plot Most Saved Oscar-winning 'KPop Demon Hunters' directors promise 'bigger,' more 'eventful' sequel (News Focus) Han Kang's NBCC win again spotlights art of translation (2nd LD) Han Kang's 'We Do Not Part' wins NBCC Award for haunting portrayal of trauma Paik Kun-woo, at 80, says 'Music chose me' (Movie Review) 'Salmokji: Whispering Water': mood runs deeper than plot Most Viewed All Categories (3rd LD) Lee, Prabowo agree to elevate bilateral ties, expand defense industry cooperation (LEAD) Trump says S. Korea prev Seoul shares down 3.6 pct late Thurs. morning on Trump's renewed Iran warning Next Seoul shares down 3.6 pct late Thurs. morning on Trump's renewed Iran warning

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SEOUL, April 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks dropped over 3 percent late Thursday morning after U.S. President Donald Trump warned that the United States would strike Iran "extremely hard" over the next few weeks.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 197.1 points, or 3.6 percent, to 5,281.6 as of 11:20 a.m.
The index opened more than 1 percent higher, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street, but turned negative after Trump's remarks dashed hopes for a swift end to the monthlong conflict.
In a prime-time address earlier in the day, Trump said, "We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks" and would "bring them back to the Stone Age," warning that energy facilities in Iran could be targeted if a deal is not reached.
The warning pushed up global oil prices, with Brent crude jumping more than 4 percent to above US$100 a barrel.
The conflict, which began in late February following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, has driven up global oil prices amid supply disruptions, rattling financial markets and fueling concerns over inflation and a potential economic slowdown.
A screen at a dealing room of Woori Bank in Seoul shows U.S. President Donald Trump delivering a public address on the Iran conflict on April 2, 2026. (Yonhap)
In Seoul, most big-cap shares drifted lower.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics fell 5.17 percent, while chip giant SK hynix dropped 5.15 percent.
Top automaker Hyundai Motor sank 4.3 percent, while its affiliate Kia lost 2.06 percent.
Leading battery maker LG Energy Solution went down 0.37 percent, and artificial intelligence investment firm SK Square dived 5.59 percent. Nuclear power plant builder Doosan Enerbility decreased 4.72 percent.
Leading financial firm KB Financial shed 1.35 percent, and major steelmaker POSCO slid 1.01 percent.
Major shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy retreated 2.21 percent, and its rival Hanwha Ocean dived 4.49 percent.
Bio shares traded mixed. Bio giant Samsung Biologics climbed 1.34 percent, while Celltrion fell 3.83 percent.
Among gainers, defense giant Hanwha Aerospace jumped 6.3 percent, and Samsung SDI added 2.2 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,520.2 won against the greenback at 11:20 a.m., down 18.9 won from the previous session.
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)
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Seoul shares down 3.6 pct late Thurs. morning on Trump's renewed Iran warning
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Seoul shares down 3.6 pct late Thurs. morning on Trump's renewed Iran warning

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
N/A

### Areas for Consideration
- Korean currency falls ahead of Trump's address on Iran war (3rd LD) Trump claims Iran's president has asked for ceasefire; Iran denies it Keywords #KOSPI #stocks Articles with issue keywords Most Liked Oscar-winning 'KPop Demon Hunters' directors promise 'bigger,' more 'eventful' sequel (2nd LD) Han Kang's 'We Do Not Part' wins NBCC Award for haunting portrayal of trauma (News Focus) Han Kang's NBCC win again spotlights art of translation Paik Kun-woo, at 80, says 'Music chose me' (Movie Review) 'Salmokji: Whispering Water': mood runs deeper than plot Most Saved Oscar-winning 'KPop Demon Hunters' directors promise 'bigger,' more 'eventful' sequel (News Focus) Han Kang's NBCC win again spotlights art of translation (2nd LD) Han Kang's 'We Do Not Part' wins NBCC Award for haunting portrayal of trauma Paik Kun-woo, at 80, says 'Music chose me' (Movie Review) 'Salmokji: Whispering Water': mood runs deeper than plot Most Viewed All Categories (3rd LD) Lee, Prabowo agree to elevate bilateral ties, expand defense industry cooperation (LEAD) Trump says S.

### Implications
- In a prime-time address earlier in the day, Trump said, "We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks" and would "bring them back to the Stone Age," warning that energy facilities in Iran could be targeted if a deal is not reached.
- The local currency was trading at 1,520.2 won against the greenback at 11:20 a.m., down 18.9 won from the previous session. graceoh@yna.co.kr (END) Related Articles Trump says U.S. will hit Iran 'extremely hard' over next 2 to 3 weeks S.
- Korean currency falls ahead of Trump's address on Iran war (3rd LD) Trump claims Iran's president has asked for ceasefire; Iran denies it Keywords #KOSPI #stocks Articles with issue keywords Most Liked Oscar-winning 'KPop Demon Hunters' directors promise 'bigger,' more 'eventful' sequel (2nd LD) Han Kang's 'We Do Not Part' wins NBCC Award for haunting portrayal of trauma (News Focus) Han Kang's NBCC win again spotlights art of translation Paik Kun-woo, at 80, says 'Music chose me' (Movie Review) 'Salmokji: Whispering Water': mood runs deeper than plot Most Saved Oscar-winning 'KPop Demon Hunters' directors promise 'bigger,' more 'eventful' sequel (News Focus) Han Kang's NBCC win again spotlights art of translation (2nd LD) Han Kang's 'We Do Not Part' wins NBCC Award for haunting portrayal of trauma Paik Kun-woo, at 80, says 'Music chose me' (Movie Review) 'Salmokji: Whispering Water': mood runs deeper than plot Most Viewed All Categories (3rd LD) Lee, Prabowo agree to elevate bilateral ties, expand defense industry cooperation (LEAD) Trump says S.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers percent, trump, iran topics. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 668.