South Korea's Stock Market Plunges 6.8 Percent as Global Tech Sell-Off Triggers Program Trading Halt

Seoul, Wednesday, 19 August 2026.
Rising U.S. Treasury yields and a semiconductor sell-off drove South Korea’s KOSPI down 6.8 percent today, triggering the year’s 25th sell-side sidecar—surpassing total sidecars seen during the 2008 financial crisis.