File picture of a currency dealer walking past an electronic screen showing South Korea’s benchmark stock index (Kospi) in a foreign exchange dealing room at the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul on June 26, 2026. The Korea Exchange (KRX) triggered the marketwide circuit breaker at around 1.28pm after the KOSPI plunged more than 8 per cent from the previous session’s close. — AFP pic First Published: Monday, 13 Jul 2026 2:19 PM MYT SEOUL, July 13 — South Korea’s bourse operator on Monday activated a circuit breaker for the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) after stocks tumbled amid renewed tensions in West Asia. According to Yonhap News Agency, trading of KOSPI-listed shares was halted for 20 minutes.The Korea Exchange (KRX) triggered the marketwide circuit breaker at around 1.28pm after the KOSPI plunged more than 8 per cent from the previous session’s close.The benchmark index came under heavy selling pressure as investors remained cautious after the United States and Iran exchanged fresh strikes over the status of the Strait of Hormuz.It marked the seventh time this year that the KRX has activated a circuit breaker. — Bernama-Yonhap