South Korean stocks took a breather on Friday following strong gains earlier in the week, buoyed by optimism surrounding a potential trade agreement with the United States.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index(KOSPI) gained zero-point-52 points, or zero-point-01 percent, on Friday to close at three-thousand-748-point-89.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently said that Washington is about to “finish up” trade negotiations with Seoul.

Optimism over a potential South Korea-U.S. trade deal lifted sentiment in sectors including semiconductors, automobiles and batteries.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics edged up zero-point-two percent, and Hyundai Motor gained zero-point-41 percent. LG Energy Solution surged three-point-21 percent while its parent company, LG Chem, jumped eight-point-65 percent.

The tech-heavy KOSDAQ lost five-point-87 points, or zero-point-68 percent, to close at 859-point-54.

The South Korean won weakened against the U.S. dollar by three-point-three won to trade at one-thousand-421-point-two won as of 3:30 p.m.