Nikkei 225 closes down 5.96% at 57,434.77; KOSPI falls 6.02%

A synchronized drop of this size across two separate Asian benchmarks points to a region-wide risk event rather than anything specific to either market. The absence of any stated catalyst in the data leaves the driver unidentified, which itself matters: when the cause is unclear, the reaction tends to be broad and indiscriminate, hitting liquid large-cap indices hardest. Whether this proves a one-session shock or the start of a sustained de-risking is the open question, and the next session's breadth and volatility will say more than the closing levels do.