Sidecar curbs jump as market volatility grips KOSPI

Korea’s stock market has experienced exceptional volatility this year, triggering 10 sidecar measures on the benchmark KOSPI, the second-highest annual tally on record, the Korea Exchange (KRX) and industry officials said Wednesday. The mechanism temporarily halts program trading for five minutes during sharp market swings to curb excessive volatility. In March alone, seven sidecars were activated as markets were rattled by surging global oil prices and mounting pressure from a weakening won amid the Middle East conflict. According to the KRX, the 10 sidecar activations this year comprise six sell-side and four buy-side measures. Sell-side curbs were triggered on Feb. 2 and 6, and March 3, 4, 9 and 23, while buy-side measures were imposed on Feb. 3 and March 5, 10 and 18. The secondary Kosdaq market has also faced heightened volatility, with six sidecars triggered this year — four on the buy side and two on the sell side. On the main board, a sidecar is triggered when front-month KOSPI 200 futures move more than 5 percent from the previous close and sustain the change for at least one

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