The Kospi's first break above 8,000 lasted less than a day. Korea's benchmark stock index climbed to an intraday record Friday, only to tumble below 7,500 by th

South Korean stocks finished at a record peak of above 7,980 on Thursday, just an inch away from the unprecedented 8,000-point level, as investors closely paid

Seoul's benchmark Kospi quickly reversed course Friday after briefly crossing the historic 8,000 mark, falling below 7,600 as foreign investors deepened profit-