This photo, taken Friday, shows the trading room of Hana Bank in Seoul as South Korean stocks spiked more than 4 percent amid hopes the war between the United States and Iran could end soon. Photo by Yonhap
Seoul stocks rose by more than 4 percent Friday, as investors snapped up tech heavyweights amid hopes the war between the United States and Iran could end soon.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed up 359.67 points, or 4.63 percent, at 8,123.62 after rising as high as 8,434.40.
After opening sharply higher on renewed hopes that the war between the U.S. and Iran is near its end, the index trimmed earlier gains on profit taking ahead of the closing bell.
Trade volume was heavy at 490.3 million shares worth 51.1 trillion won (US$33.6 billion). Winners outnumbered losers 753 to 144.
On Thursday (U.S. time), U.S. President Donald Trump said he has reached a “great settlement” that would resolve the monthslong conflict with Iran and the deal would be signed as early as over the weekend, possibly in Europe.
Media outlet Axios also reported that four U.S. Air Force C-17 planes departed for Europe on Thursday, moving equipment for possible travel by Vice President J.D. Vance, raising the possibility a signing ceremony could take place in Geneva, Switzerland.
“Market sentiment improved as foreign investors shifted to net buying after a 25-session selling streak, on anticipations for peace negotiations,” said Lee Kyoung-min, an analyst from Daishin Securities.
But the rise was limited, amid reports that global banks are curbing hedge funds’ leveraged bets on the country’s two semiconductor heavyweights: Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, Lee added.
Foreigners and institutional investors net purchased a combined 4.4 trillion won. Retail investors net sold 4.3 trillion won.
In Seoul, shares closed higher across the board.
Market top-cap Samsung Electronics rose 7.86 percent, to 322,500 won, while its chipmaking rival SK hynix moved up 2.33 percent to 2,150,000 won.
Semiconductor equipment maker Hanmi Semiconductor vaulted 24.05 percent to 361,000 won, after the company said in a regulatory filling it is seeking to invest in SpaceX, Elon Musk’s space company set to make its Nasdaq debut on Friday (local time).
Shipmakers also gathered ground as investors went bargain hunting. Hanwha Ocean added 7.85 percent to 112,700 won and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries increased 0.62 percent to 650,000 won.
Portal operator Naver jumped 10.27 percent, to 247,000 won, financial firm KB Financial climbed 6.4 percent to 161,200 won, and top car maker Hyundai Motor added 1.68 percent to 607,000 won.
The Korean won was quoted at 1,519.8 won against the U.S. dollar as of 3:30 p.m., up 9.1 won from the previous session’s close.
Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, closed higher. The yield on three-year Treasurys fell 9.6 basis points to 3.808 percent, and the return on the benchmark five-year government bonds declined 10.9 basis points to 3.971 percent.
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Sophia D’Eramo plays on the online game platform Roblox in 2020 in Franklin, Mass. The state of Nevada and Roblox reached a settlement to better protect young gamers, the Nevada attorney general said Wednesday. File Photo by Emily Flynn/EPA
April 15 (UPI) — Nevada and the online gaming platform Roblox have reached a unique settlement that will help protect young online gamers and pour money into the state’s youth programs, the state’s attorney general said Wednesday.
“This settlement will create a safer environment for our children online,” Attorney General Aaron Ford told reporters during a press conference. “I hope that it will serve as a bellwether for how online interactive platforms allow our state’s youth to use the products.”
Nevada opened an investigation into children’s safety on the popular online game creation platform in 2024. There have been lawsuits in that state and others alleging that Roblox has failed to protect young gamers from online predators and other issues.
As part of the settlement, Roblox will spend about $10 million on non-digital youth programs in the state, plus contribute toward an online safety awareness program.
In addition, the company will start using stricter age-verification measures, which will restrict what children under certain ages can see and with whom they can communicate. These measures will include facial age-estimation technology, robust parental controls, expanded parental oversight and dedicated law enforcement support.
Roblox has also committed to using government-issued ID for age assurance as well as behavioral monitoring to identify users who may have been assigned the wrong age, Ford said during the press conference.
Roblox will also include tighter controls for parents and a ban on encrypted messaging involving minors. If a parent account isn’t linked to a child account, the latter will be limited to a restricted child mode. Adults must have a “trusted friend” label, which requires parental consent, before they can chat with those under the age of 13. The changes will also include limits on notifications during nighttime hours.
Roblox told UPI in a statement that while it disputes the claims in the complaint it is “pleased” to have reached a settlement with Ford, stating it reflects the company’s “continued commitment to fostering online health and safety for kids.”
“Roblox is proud to have worked alongside Attorney General Ford to reach this landmark agreement, which builds on our work to establish a new standard for digital safety,” Roblox Chief Safety Officer Matt Kaufman said.
“This resolution creates a blueprint for how industry and regulators can work together to protect the next generation of digital citizens.”
Roblox told UPI that the agreement helped shape several safety measures, including two new age-based accounts announced Monday: Roblox Kids for users between the ages of 5 and 8 and Roblox Select for users ages 9 to 15.
Beginning in June, the accounts will “more closely align content access, communication settings and parental controls with a user’s age,” Roblox said Monday in a statement.
April 15 (UPI) — U.S. advertising companies Dentsu, Publicis and WPP settled Wednesday with the Federal Trade Commission, which claimed they colluded over anti-misinformation policies that affected ad money for conservative publishers. The companies did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
In a press release, the FTC said the agencies “distorted America’s modern public square” and worked together to establish “brand safety” policies that limited the ads that could run on sites with content designated as misinformation. This affected ad revenues for conservative political websites and made it more difficult for them to make money from “disfavored political viewpoints,” the FTC release said. The commission filed a complaint Wednesday in the U.S.District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
A court must approve the settlement. The companies agreed not to collude to restrict ad-buying services over “news and political and social commentary content,” the FTC said.
The New York Times reported that a representative for Dentsu said the company was “fully committed to operating transparently, with integrity and in strict compliance with all applicable laws.” A representative for WPP told that Times the agreement “reflects our existing and ongoing commitment to provide our clients with unbiased advice as they decide where to place their media.” The companies own multiple ad agencies and buy digital ads on behalf of advertisers.
FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson said in the release that the agencies’ brand safety policies “turned competition in the market for ad-buying services on its head.” The collusion, he said, “distorted the marketplace of ideas by discriminating against speech and ideas that fell below the unlawfully agreed-on floor.”
This follows a longstanding claim by the Trump administration that the media and websites treat conservatives unfairly. Ferguson and the FTC in 2025 also opened other inquiries into alleged anti-conservative censorship through online content moderation.
