Seoul: South Korean stocks concluded the trading session on a lower note Tuesday as continued foreign selling of major technology companies led to a downturn, mirroring an overnight decline in tech stocks on Wall Street. The local currency, the Korean won, also weakened against the U.S. dollar.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell by 244.38 points, or 3.25 percent, closing at 7,271.66 after experiencing volatile trading. The index initially opened 1.2 percent lower and reached a low of 7,141.91, a decrease of 4.98 percent in the morning session, before rebounding to some extent in the afternoon.

In the U.S., stocks displayed mixed outcomes as investors exercised caution following U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of a postponed attack on Iran, at the behest of Gulf leaders. Major U.S. technology companies, including Apple and Microsoft, saw their stock prices decline. Meanwhile, investors are keenly awaiting the earnings report from Nvidia, a significant player in the artificial intelligence chip industry, expected later this week.

Foreign investors have maintained a selling trend for nine consecutive sessions, focusing on sectors such as chipmakers, automakers, and other large-cap stocks. Most major stocks traded lower in this period, with Samsung Electronics declining by 1.96 percent to close at 275,500 won, and SK hynix losing 5.16 percent to end at 1,745,000 won.

The Korean won was quoted at 1,507.8 against the U.S. dollar at 3:30 p.m., marking a drop of 7.5 won compared to the previous trading session.