Nikkei 225 opens down 0.1%, Kospi opens 1.1% lower

The gap between the two opens is the notable detail: a 0.1% slip in Tokyo reads as routine drift, while a 1.1% drop in Seoul points to more concentrated pressure on Korean equities specifically rather than a uniform regional mood. With nothing in the item identifying a catalyst, the divergence itself is the story worth tracking — whether Seoul's weakness is an isolated, single-session move or the start of a sustained split from Japan is the open question.