Kospi Ends Winning Streak as Asia-Pacific Stocks Trade Mixed

South Korea’s Kospi index fell 1.29%, ending a four-session winning streak, as Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed on Tuesday. The region’s performance diverged from Wall Street’s tech-driven gains overnight.

Investor sentiment was cautious ahead of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s policy decision, while a rally in global tech shares supported select Asian stocks. Amazon’s $38 billion deal with OpenAI boosted confidence in the sector, lifting Nvidia shares by nearly 2% after it gained export clearance to ship chips to the UAE.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 edged up 0.25%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index added 0.23%. Meanwhile, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.7%, and China’s Shanghai Composite fell 0.22%. Despite Tuesday’s pullback, the Kospi has gained in 12 of the past 15 sessions, buoyed by strong AI demand and ongoing structural reforms that are narrowing the long-standing “Korea discount.”