An electronic board showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index at a dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap) South Korean stocks started sharply lower Monday amid lingering volatility in the market sparked by the Middle East conflict and rising oil prices.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 319.5 points, or 5.72 percent, to 5,265.37 at the opening bell.
Investors expressed concerns over instability in global energy prices, with the U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediatecrude surpassing US$100 per barrel for the first time since July 2022 on Sunday (US time).
The South Korean stock market suffered extreme volatility last week, dipping more than 10 percent. (Yonhap)