Most Asian stocks edged lower on Tuesday as fresh U.S. military strikes in Iran tempered hopes for a Middle East peace deal. South Korean shares surged to record highs in catch-up trade after a holiday.
Technology shares remained resilient following strong gains on Wall Street last week.
U.S. launched defensive strikes on missile sites in southern Iran. Oil prices rebounded after sharp losses on Monday.
Japan's Nikkei 225 slipped 0.3%. China's Shanghai Composite fell 0.8%.
South Korea's KOSPI jumped over 3% to a record high of 8,131.15, powered by chipmakers and AI stocks. Samsung Electronics rose 3%, SK Hynix surged nearly 7%.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.5% as chipmakers rallied. Huawei announced a major semiconductor design breakthrough.
