Kospi Falls 1.35% as U.S.-China Talks Continue Amid Market Volatility

South Korea's Kospi index declined by 1.35% on Friday, retreating from a record high above 8,000. This drop occurred as investors monitored ongoing discussions between U.S. President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping. The Kospi's decline coincided with falls in other Asia-Pacific markets, including Japan's Nikkei 225, which dropped 0.9%. Samsung Electronics' shares fell 1% amid labor discussions, after the company's market capitalization crossed $1 trillion earlier this month, highlighting concerns regarding concentration risks in the tech sector, particularly among AI stocks.