The benchmark KOSPI fell 0.34% to around 4,677 on Wednesday, pulling back from record highs as weaker US market performance and disappointing domestic economic data weighed on sentiment. Overnight, Wall Street declined, with the Dow and S&P 500 retreating from all-time highs, led by losses in financial stocks. Investors also weighed economic data showing South Korea’s employment growth remained modest in 2025, holding near 100,000 for the second consecutive year, with the number of employed rising 193,000, or 0.7%, to 28.77 million. Additionally, inflation concerns lingered, as import prices climbed for a sixth straight month in December, up 0.7% from November and 0.3% year-on-year, driven largely by a weaker won despite falling global oil prices. Notable losers were LG Energy Solution (-1.02%), Hyundai Motor (-0.37%), HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (-1.24%), Celltrion (-2.04%), and Hanwha Ocean (-2.54%).