Nikkei 225 closes down 1.8% at 67,777.52; Seoul’s Kospi drops 5.5%

The divergence is the story: a modest Nikkei decline against a Topix gain suggests the weakness was concentrated in index-heavy names rather than broad Japanese risk appetite. Korea's far sharper drop, led by SK Hynix, points to a specific semiconductor-linked selloff rather than a uniform regional retreat. Whether that chip-driven pressure stays contained to Korea or spills into Japanese tech is the open question.