KOSPI posts record one-day fall as Middle East conflict rattles markets
Mar 4th 2026
South Korea's benchmark KOSPI sank 12.06 percent amid the widening conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran, triggering market halts and heavy losses for exporters and shipping firms.
- KOSPI plunged 12.06 percent on March 4, the biggest single-day drop in its history.
- Trading was halted by a 20-minute circuit breaker after losses passed the 8 percent threshold.
- The index recovered some losses and was down about 10 percent as of 05:00 GMT.
- Tuesday's 7.2 percent fall made this the worst two-day decline in decades.
- Losses were broad, hitting Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and LG Electronics, while shipping firms Pan Ocean, HMM and KSS Line fell about 16 to 17 percent.
- The selloff is linked to disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz and South Korea's dependence on imports for about 98 percent of its fossil fuel needs.