The benchmark KOSPI fell more than 5% to around 5,480 on Monday, tracking a sharp regional selloff amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. The US issued a 48-hour ultimatum threatening to strike Iran’s energy infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz is not fully reopened, while Iran warned it could shut the vital oil route and target regional facilities, raising fears of a severe supply disruption and keeping crude prices elevated. The developments weighed heavily on Korean equities given the country’s reliance on energy imports, with higher oil prices expected to fuel inflation and squeeze corporate margins. The Korean won also slid past the 1,500 per dollar level to its softest in over a decade, signaling sustained foreign outflows and tighter financial conditions. Losses were broad-based across large caps, including Samsung Electronics (-6.4%), SK hynix (-7.8%), Hyundai Motor (-5.4%), LG Energy Solution (-4.8%), SK Square (-11.4%), and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (-7.3%).
