(URGENT) Bourse operator issues sell-side sidecar on KOSPI's sharp fall

The Korea Exchange (KRX) has activated a sell-side sidecar for the KOSPI index following a sharp decline. The KOSPI index fell 5.6 percent, or 384.82 points, to 6,485.01 within minutes of opening, prompting the suspension of program trading for five minutes. The sell-side sidecar is triggered when the KOSPI 200 Futures Index falls 5 percent or more for at least one minute.

The drop was attributed to investors selling off semiconductor shares, particularly Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, in response to overnight losses on Wall Street. The market reaction was further exacerbated by stalled U.S.-Iran peace talks, which led to increased oil prices and bond yields.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.