(260304) -- SEOUL, March 4, 2026 (Xinhua) -- An employee works at the dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, March 4, 2026. The Korea Exchange triggered circuit breakers on both the KOSPI and KOSDAQ markets following the severe market crash, caused by the escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
The benchmark KOSPI dived 698.37 points, or 12.06 percent, to close at 5,093.54, and the smaller KOSDAQ plunged 159.26 points, or 14.00 percent, to finish at 978.44.
Both the KOSPI and the KOSDAQ saw their steepest daily percentage drops in history. (Photo by Jun Hyosang/Xinhua)
