South Korea's KOSPI opened down 19.49 points, or 0.28%, at 7061.43 on Monday, Sept. 28.

On Sept 26 at a forum, Philippine defense minister Teodoro commented on the South China Sea. China’s embassy in the Philippines spokesman Ji Lingpeng described Teodoro as extremely anti‑China, saying he has long attacked and smeared China to gain political capital. The embassy said his remarks disregard facts, aim to disrupt China‑Philippines relations and sow discord between the two peoples, and that such efforts will not succeed.

Haikou Customs reported offshore duty-free sales of 231 mln yuan from Sept 25-27, with 38,600 shoppers and 179,000 items. Families and travel groups drove demand; high-end skincare and luxury bags were the top categories.