Singapore — Asian stocks slipped on Friday as investors took profits after a strong week, while the Korean won weakened after US President Donald Trump said he would renegotiate or terminate a trade deal with South Korea. The dollar was 0.2% stronger at 1,132.55 won following Trump’s comments in an interview with Reuters. Trump also said a major conflict with North Korea was possible over its nuclear programme but he would prefer a diplomatic solution, and he wanted South Korea to pay for the $1bn THAAD anti-missile defence system. Trump’s comments about the free-trade agreement "can be understood as a sign of (further) protectionism", said Jung Sung-yoon, a foreign exchange analyst at Hyundai Futures. South Korea was adopting a "wait and see" approach to see whether any policy steps eventuated, a high-ranking official at the nation’s finance ministry told Reuters. South Korea’s Kospi index, which opened higher, reversed its gains and fell 0.2%. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific...
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