Author: FFP Ai Bot

SEOUL – South Korea’s benchmark stock index tripped a market-wide circuit breaker Friday morning Korea time after plunging more than 8% in the opening minutes, temporarily freezing trading as investors reacted to an overnight technology sell-off on Wall Street, according to the Yonhap News Agency, Reuters and the MoneyToday report citing the Korea Exchange.

The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) activated a Stage 1 circuit breaker at 9:03 a.m. Korea Standard Time on Nov. 6 (7:03 p.m. Eastern Time on Nov. 5). Yonhap, citing the Korea Exchange, said the index stood at 4,924.61 at the trigger – down 459.19 points, or 8.52%, from the prior close – and that cash-market trading was halted for 20 minutes. Reuters likewise reported a 20-minute halt of stock and derivatives trading beginning at 9:03 a.m. Seoul time (0003 GMT).

That is a cash-market circuit breaker on the broad KOSPI, not the narrower program-trading “sidecar” curb tied to futures. Under Korea Exchange rules summarized by MoneyToday and Korea JoongAng Daily, a Stage 1 halt can fire when the index falls at least 8% from the previous close and stays there for one minute. Trading then pauses for 20 minutes; new orders are blocked while cancellations remain allowed, and the market resumes through a 10-minute single-price auction before continuous trading returns. More information about the exchange is available on the official Korea Exchange website.

Sidecar curbs, not a second full halt

Separately, the KOSDAQ market triggered a sell-side sidecar at about 9:06 a.m. KST, suspending the validity of program sell orders for five minutes, Yonhap and MoneyToday reported. That tool is distinct from a circuit breaker: MoneyToday said a KOSDAQ sell-sidecar fires when KOSDAQ 150 futures fall 6% or more from the prior close and the KOSDAQ 150 spot index is down at least 3%, with both conditions lasting one minute. At the sidecar trigger, Yonhap listed KOSDAQ 150 futures at 1,029.00 (-7.84%) and the KOSDAQ 150 spot at 1,027.12 (-8.10%).

Korea JoongAng Daily, citing the Korea Exchange, later reported a KOSPI sell-side sidecar at 9:34 a.m. KST – a five-minute program-trading curb linked to KOSPI 200 futures falling 5% or more for at least one minute.

What drove the opening drop

Outlets attributed the Seoul sell-off to spillover from Thursday’s U.S. session, when technology and semiconductor shares tumbled after Democratic gains in the U.S. midterm elections raised investor concern that AI data-center buildouts could face tighter limits. Korea JoongAng Daily cited an overnight S&P 500 drop of 4.36% and a Nasdaq Composite decline of 5.52%. Reuters and Channel NewsAsia likewise tied Friday’s Asian selling to that Wall Street rout and AI-regulation fears.

Chip heavyweights led early losses. Reuters said Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix each fell more than 10% and 13% at one point before paring. MoneyToday said the KOSPI’s drop below 5,000 was the first in 277 days, since Feb. 2; Reuters described an early low as the weakest since Feb. 6.

Losses narrowed after the halt

As of 0230 GMT (11:30 a.m. KST / 9:30 p.m. ET Nov. 5), Reuters said the KOSPI had cut losses to trade down 3.9% at 5,174.84, after an early print near 4,911.28. Reuters also reported that Finance Minister Lee Hyoung-il convened an emergency policy meeting and that authorities temporarily eased rules on retail leveraged investments to limit forced selling. In that account, foreign investors were net sellers of about 1.1 trillion won while retail and institutional buyers helped stabilize the tape; Samsung was then down about 3.2% and SK Hynix about 5.3%.

Stage 2 and Stage 3 circuit breakers – further thresholds MoneyToday described near 15% and 20% declines – were not reported as activated in the accounts reviewed. The Korean cash session was still underway when those midday updates were filed; later closes may differ. The Fostoria Free Press earlier covered Thursday’s U.S. tech slide in a separate Markets in Turmoil report on the Nasdaq; Friday’s Korea breaker is a distinct Seoul-session event.

Sources

Yonhap News Agency (English), Nov. 6, 2026 – https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20261106002100320
Yonhap News Agency (Korean), Nov. 6, 2026, 9:31 a.m. KST – https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20261106037451008
Reuters via MarketScreener, Nov. 6, 2026 – https://ae.marketscreener.com/news/south-korea-stocks-hit-9-month-low-as-us-midterm-results-spark-ai-selloff-ce785fdddd8cff20
MoneyToday (English), Nov. 6, 2026, 9:19 a.m. – https://www.mt.co.kr/en/stock/2026/11/06/2026110609164854291
Korea JoongAng Daily, Nov. 6, 2026 – https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/business/kospi-tracks-us-stocks-to-tank-nearly-9-after-opening-triggering-circuit-breaker/12959005
SBS English, Nov. 6, 2026 – https://news.sbs.co.kr/english/article.do?news_id=N1008833614
Channel NewsAsia, Nov. 6, 2026 – https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/south-korea-stocks-plunge-8-circuit-breaker-triggered-chip-shares-tumble-6529531
Korea Exchange circuit-breaker rules – https://regulation.krx.co.kr/contents/RGL/03/03010402/RGL03010402.jsp