EN Home › Market Briefing · published Oct 6, 2026 morning (KST) · prices as of 2026-10-05 close한국어

USD/KRW 1,344 lower, US 10Y 5.31%: Oct 6 Korea market briefing

USD/KRW fell 1.05% to 1,344.2 won per dollar, while the US 10-year Treasury yield rose 3.0bp to 5.310%. Major stock markets were mostly higher, led by the Nikkei 225 with a 2.40% gain. WTI crude and gold fell. Today's variables to watch are the risk in the Strait of Hormuz and how oil prices feed through to US yields.

Yesterday's closes

Indicator	Close	Change	%
USD/KRW10-02	1,344.2	-14.2	-1.05%
Dollar Index10-05	102.21	+0.32	+0.32%
USD/JPY10-05	157.99	+0.17	+0.11%
US 10Y Yield10-05	5.310%	+3.0bp	-
Korea 3Y Yield10-02	3.937%	-7.3bp	-
KOSPI 20010-02	1,109.05	+4.57	+0.41%
Nasdaq 10010-05	31,076.44	+268.51	+0.87%
Nikkei 22510-05	69,946.86	+1,637.40	+2.40%
Hang Seng10-05	24,040.34	+68.05	+0.28%
DAX10-05	25,254.21	+23.01	+0.09%
WTI Crude10-02	91.11	-1.76	-1.90%
Gold10-02	4,162.30	-40.00	-0.95%
Bitcoin10-06	85,912	-575	-0.67%

The date next to each indicator is the trading day of that close. Bitcoin is the spot price at publication (7am KST). Yield changes are in bp (0.01 pp).

FX & Rates

USD/KRW closed at 1,344.2 won per dollar on October 2, down 14.2 won (1.05%) from the previous 1,358.4 won. That is 7.28% below the 100-day average of 1,449.7 won. The Dollar Index, by contrast, rose 0.32% to 102.21, and USD/JPY also rose 0.11% to 157.99 yen per dollar. The US 10-year Treasury yield rose 3.0bp to 5.310%, well above its 100-day average of 4.684%. The Korea 3-year yield fell 7.3bp to 3.937%, so Korean and US yields moved in opposite directions.

Equities

The KOSPI 200 rose 0.41% to 1,109.05 at the October 2 close, though it remains 4.34% below its 100-day average of 1,159.34. The Nasdaq 100 rose 0.87% to 31,076.44 and is 5.28% above its 100-day average. The Nikkei 225 climbed 2.40% to 69,946.86, the biggest gain among the stock indices in the market table. The Hang Seng and Germany's DAX posted smaller gains: the Hang Seng rose 0.28% to 24,040.34 and the DAX rose 0.09% to 25,254.21.

Commodities & Crypto

WTI crude fell 1.90% to 91.11 dollars per barrel at the October 2 close, but it is still 5.61% above its 100-day average of 86.27 dollars. Gold fell 40.00 dollars (0.95%) to 4,162.30 dollars per ounce, putting it 3.78% below its 100-day average. Bitcoin (BTC/USDT) was at 85,912 dollars as of 7:00 a.m. KST, down 575 dollars (0.67%) from the previous day.

News and Markets

Major economies agreed to a coordinated release of strategic petroleum reserves. Because this adds to crude supply, the news bears directly on WTI crude. However, ships keep being attacked in the Strait of Hormuz and Saudi Arabia has carried out airstrikes on Houthi-held areas, so concerns about oil shipping routes persist. Eurozone inflation jumped in September, adding to pressure on the ECB to raise rates. Since this shows energy-driven inflation weighing on interest rates, it can be seen as part of the same trend as the rise in the US 10-year Treasury yield. In Korea, there was a series of hacking incidents at financial firms and a North Korean missile launch, but the market table alone does not show a direct causal link between these events and the markets.

What to Watch Today

The variables to watch are whether there are further attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and how the strategic petroleum reserve release is reflected in WTI crude prices. With the US 10-year Treasury yield at 5.310%, well above its 100-day average, whether yields rise further is another indicator to check. USD/KRW fell sharply while the Dollar Index rose, so the two diverged, and today's exchange-rate moves are also worth watching. Progress on the US-proposed three-way talks on Ukraine and any follow-up news on the White House superintelligence task force are also variables that could affect the Nasdaq 100 and European stock markets.

Yesterday's key world news

G7 Agrees to Release 100 Million Barrels of Strategic Oil Reserves as Eurozone Inflation Jumps to 3.8%· Economy & Markets
G7 nations agreed through the IEA to jointly release 100 million barrels from strategic oil reserves, while eurozone inflation hit 3.8% in September, the highest since September 2023. Energy-driven inflation is putting more pressure on the ECB to raise interest rates.
German Chancellor Merz Makes Surprise Visit to Kyiv, Pledges Major Support for Ukraine· Geopolitics
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made an unannounced visit to Kyiv, pledging 1 billion euros in military aid and 350 million euros for reconstruction. With a winter offensive expected, attention is on whether the three-way talks proposed by the US will go ahead.
Saudi Arabia Launches Massive Airstrikes on Houthi-Held Areas as Tanker Is Attacked in Strait of Hormuz· Geopolitics
Saudi Arabia carried out large-scale airstrikes on Houthi rebel areas in Yemen, while a vessel was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, the fourth such incident this month. Growing instability along key crude shipping routes is putting pressure on oil prices and energy markets.
Brazil's Presidential Election Heads to Runoff Between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro· Politics
No candidate won a majority in the first round of Brazil's presidential election, with Flávio Bolsonaro narrowly ahead of President Lula. The October 25 runoff will decide the direction of South America's largest economy.
Trump Launches White House 'Superintelligence Task Force' as OpenAI Safety Chief Resigns· Tech & Industry
President Trump announced a White House superintelligence task force that will review AI's risks and opportunities and report back within 120 days. The move signals the direction of US AI policy amid the AI race with China.

Full country-by-country summaries for Oct 5, 2026 (Korean) →

USD/KRW exchange rateUS 10-year Treasury yieldKOSPI 200Nasdaq 100Nikkei 225WTI crude oil pricegold priceBitcoin price

This briefing is an automated summary of public market data and news-broadcast summaries from several countries, for information only — not investment advice. Figures follow the table's source data; markets may have moved since publication.