Affected by the Iran situation, the Korea Composite Stock Price Index plummeted 8%, and international oil prices broke through $100.

The instability of the international situation has intensified, and the Korean stock market suffered a massive shock today. Due to the prolonged Iran situation, international oil prices broke through $100 per barrel, causing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) to plummet and triggering a circuit breaker during trading.

Compared to yesterday’s closing price, the KOSPI fell more than 8%, prompting the Korea Exchange to suspend trading for 20 minutes. This is the first circuit breaker since April 4th this month, marking the third trading day in a row, and fully demonstrating that the market is in an extremely unstable state. On that day, the KOSPI closed at 5,132.07 points, down 8.10% from the previous trading day.

Earlier, at 9:06 a.m., due to fluctuations in the KOSPI 200 futures index, a “sidecar” measure was activated to pause sell orders for 5 minutes. The Nasdaq market also triggered the sidecar measure due to increased volatility, with the trigger being a 6.27% drop in the Nasdaq 150 futures index.

The rise in international oil prices caused by the Iran situation is negatively impacting the stock market, with investors feeling uneasy amid uncertainty. The surge in oil prices may lead to higher raw material costs, negatively affecting corporate performance and further increasing market volatility.

Future trends will largely depend on the development of the international situation. If geopolitical risks in the Middle East persist or worsen, volatility in international oil prices and the stock market could intensify further, and investors should stay alert.