South Korea’s benchmark index nears March lows after a 10% drop, triggering trading halts amid a broader regional sell-off.
South Korea’s KOSPI index led a sharp decline in Asia-Pacific shares, falling more than 10% overnight and approaching its March low of 5,042. The sell-off triggered two trading halts and left the index nearly 40% below its all-time high of 9,385.
The rout reflects growing concerns over the semiconductor sector, a key driver of regional markets. Prior sessions had already shown weakness, but the latest drop accelerates a trend that began earlier this year. Comparable declines were seen in other tech-heavy indices across the region.
Market reaction was swift, with risk assets under pressure and safe-haven flows emerging. The broader sell-off underscores investor unease over global demand and supply chain disruptions in the chip industry.