South Korea's KOSPI crashes around 11%: Circuit breaker triggered, market sees worst session in 5 months

South Korea's KOSPI crashed 10.84% (732.09 points) to 6,023.66, its biggest daily fall since March 4, 2026, triggering a circuit breaker for the 8th time this year.

SK Hynix plunged 14.7% after ADRs hit an all-time low; Samsung Electronics fell 14.4%, its sharpest drop since October 2008.

The blockbuster IPO of China's CXMT and reports of Chinese-made immersion DUV lithography equipment fueled fears of intensified competition from Chinese chipmakers.

The KOSPI has fallen 29% month-to-date, surpassing the previous record monthly decline of 27% in October 1997.

South Korea's top financial regulator said it could consider limiting retail investments in single-stock leveraged ETFs, cited as a source of volatility.