Asian equity markets traded lower on Friday, failing to carry over momentum from an overnight gain on Wall Street, as a hawkish Federal Reserve and negative U.S. equity futures pressured sentiment. South Korea's KOSPI led regional losses, dropping 1.71% to finish near 8,919.35, while Japan's Nikkei fell 0.32% to close above the 71,400 milestone and the broader Topix Index edged down 0.1% to 4,064. In currency markets, the Japanese yen weakened past 161 per dollar, hitting its lowest level since July 2024 despite verbal warnings from authorities. Crude oil stabilized around $76 per barrel but remained on track for a steep 10% decline for the week, and safe-haven gold dropped below $4,200 an ounce. Markets in mainland China and Hong Kong were closed for the Dragon Boat Festival, and U.S. markets were closed for the Juneteenth holiday.