Author: Yuan Chuan Investment Review
South Korea's recent stock market performance has been like a "ten-loop roller coaster" at Chimelong.
At the end of February, the US-Israel-Iran conflict erupted. Global stock markets weathered the first trading day on March 2 under expectations of "Trump speedrunning Iran," except South Korea's stock market was completely closed that day due to a holiday.
When it reopened on March 3, expectations for a "quick resolution" in the Middle East had undergone a complete 180-degree reversal. The besieged Strait of Hormuz directly plunged the global oil and gas market into chaos, while KOSPI (Korea Composite Stock Price Index), which had been the hot topic since the beginning of 2026, plummeted into a relentless decline.
On March 3, KOSPI once fell to the circuit breaker level, ultimately dropping more than 7%. The next day it continued to fall to the circuit breaker, closing with a single-day decline of 12.06%, marking the largest drop in history.
March