The Korea Exchange has activated a buy-side circuit breaker on the KOSPI index, halting trading as the benchmark rallied sharply from recent lows.

The measure was triggered after the index surged 4.1% in a rapid move, prompting the exchange to pause activity to manage volatility.

Just days earlier, the exchange triggered a sell-side circuit breaker as the KOSPI plunged nearly 10%, driven by a severe sell-off in technology shares.

This is the latest episode in a turbulent week for South Korean equities, which have swung violently between panic selling and aggressive profit-taking.

The buy-side halt follows a series of dramatic sessions that have tested the market's stability mechanisms.

Just days earlier, the exchange triggered a sell-side circuit breaker as the KOSPI plunged nearly 10%, driven by a severe sell-off in technology shares.

The subsequent rebound has been equally volatile, with the index opening 1.2% higher before the sharp surge that triggered today's pause.