South Korea's Stock Market Triggers Circuit Breakers All Week; KOSPI Falls 5.72% on July 24

According to financial industry sources, South Korea's stock market triggered circuit breaker mechanisms (side car) on all five trading days of the week of July 20-24, marking an unusual volatility pattern where both sell-side and buy-side circuit breakers activated intermittently. On Friday, July 24, the final trading day of the week, KOSPI fell 5.72% to 6690.62, losing the 7,000 point level, while KOSDAQ declined 5.32% to 748.22.

Yuanta Securities attributed the sharp decline to rising Middle East tensions pushing international oil prices higher—WTI crude surged above $90 per barrel and Brent crude broke through $100—combined with elevated U.S. Treasury yields (2-year at 4.36%, 10-year at 4.71%), triggering risk-off sentiment among foreign investors. Major semiconductor stocks posted steep losses: Samsung Electronics fell 7.59%, SK Hynix declined 8.34%, and SK Square dropped 9.17%.