Seoul: Seoul stocks plunged nearly 10 percent on Tuesday as foreign investors sold semiconductor and large-cap shares amid profit-taking, while weakness in US technology stocks from the previous session also weighed on sentiment.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 910.71 points, or 9.99 percent, to close at 8,203.84. The index had risen as high as 9,175.45 during the session.
The Korea Exchange (KRX), the country's bourse operator, activated a market-wide circuit breaker after the KOSPI fell more than 8 percent from the previous session's close.
It marked the fourth time this year and the tenth time on record that trading in all stocks was suspended for 20 minutes.
The Korean won was quoted at 1,539.1 per USD as of 15:30, down 2.1 won from the previous session.
