Trading on South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI index was suspended for 20 minutes Tuesday morning after the gauge plunged 8.2%, triggering circuit breakers designed to curb extreme volatility.
The halt came as a broad-based sell-off engulfed the market, with technology stocks leading the decline.
Samsung Electronics fell 9.28% and memory chipmaker SK Hynix dropped 10.3% in early trade, according to VG.
The sharp moves in the country’s largest listed companies drove the index toward its circuit-breaker threshold, forcing a temporary pause in trading to allow for market stabilization.
The crash extends the KOSPI’s decline from recent record highs, marking a significant reversal for the Asian market.
The technology sector, which has been a primary driver of Korean equity performance, faced intense selling pressure as investors reassessed valuations amid broader regional weakness.