{"id":65588,"date":"2026-07-29T03:08:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T07:08:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-shaken-by-kospi-collapse-and-middle-east-tensions\/65588\/"},"modified":"2026-07-29T03:08:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T07:08:16","slug":"global-markets-shaken-by-kospi-collapse-and-middle-east-tensions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-shaken-by-kospi-collapse-and-middle-east-tensions\/65588\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Markets Shaken by KOSPI Collapse and Middle East Tensions"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>South Korea\u2019s KOSPI index plummeted 5.98%<\/strong> to close at 5,663.24, marking its lowest level since April and triggering <strong>back-to-back circuit breakers<\/strong> for the first time in history.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Iran is set to receive up to 400 Chinese-made shoulder-fired missile systems<\/strong> (MANPADS) within weeks, a deal valued between <strong>$60 million and $70 million<\/strong> aimed at bolstering short-range air defenses.<\/li>\n<li><strong>BASF CEO Markus Kamieth<\/strong> warned of broader European logistics disruptions as <strong>Rhine River water levels at the Kaub gauge fell to 27cm<\/strong>, though the company remains better prepared than in previous years.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Global semiconductor giants<\/strong> saw massive sell-offs, with SK Hynix (<a href=\"\/stock\/000660\">000660<\/a>) dropping nearly <strong>10%<\/strong> and Samsung Electronics (<a href=\"\/stock\/005930\">005930<\/a>) falling over <strong>5%<\/strong> amid cooling AI sentiment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>KOSPI Meltdown Triggers Historic Trading Halts<\/h2>\n<p>South Korea\u2019s benchmark KOSPI index suffered a devastating <strong>5.98% decline<\/strong> on Wednesday, closing at 5,663.24. The sell-off was so severe that the Korea Exchange was forced to trigger <strong>circuit breakers<\/strong> for both the KOSPI and KOSDAQ markets for the second consecutive trading day. This unprecedented volatility follows growing skepticism over the returns on massive <strong>artificial intelligence (AI) investments<\/strong> and disappointing guidance from major tech players.<\/p>\n<p>Heavyweights in the semiconductor sector bore the brunt of the selling pressure. SK Hynix (<a href=\"\/stock\/000660\">000660<\/a>) saw its shares tumble <strong>9.61%<\/strong>, while Samsung Electronics (<a href=\"\/stock\/005930\">005930<\/a>) declined <strong>5.23%<\/strong>. Analysts noted that while SK Hynix reported record operating profits, the lack of specific details regarding <strong>shareholder returns<\/strong> and long-term pricing mechanisms left investors uneasy, sparking a broader &quot;panic sell&quot; across Asian markets.<\/p>\n<h2>Iran Bolsters Air Defenses with Chinese Missile Deal<\/h2>\n<p>Tehran is reportedly weeks away from taking delivery of a significant shipment of <strong>Chinese shoulder-fired air-defense systems<\/strong>. According to sources familiar with the matter, the deal includes between <strong>300 and 400 MANPADS<\/strong>, specifically the <strong>QW-12 and FN-16<\/strong> missile variants. The acquisition is valued at approximately <strong>$60 million to $70 million<\/strong> and was reportedly facilitated through a Hong Kong-based intermediary, Zhongqing Baoshang International Investment.<\/p>\n<p>The move comes as Iran seeks to rebuild its defensive capabilities following months of conflict with the <strong>United States and Israel<\/strong>. Military experts suggest these portable systems are critical for protecting sensitive infrastructure, as they can be <strong>rapidly dispersed<\/strong> and are harder to target than fixed batteries. While China&#39;s Foreign Ministry has dismissed the reports as &quot;groundless,&quot; the delivery would mark a deepening of military ties between Beijing and Tehran.<\/p>\n<h2>Rhine Crisis: BASF Navigates Record-Low Water Levels<\/h2>\n<p>In Europe, industrial giant BASF (<a href=\"\/stock\/BAS\">BAS<\/a>) is bracing for severe logistical challenges as the <strong>Rhine River<\/strong> reaches critical lows. Water levels at the <strong>Kaub gauge<\/strong>, a vital chokepoint for German industry, dropped to <strong>27 centimeters<\/strong> on Tuesday and are projected to fall further. The protracted heatwave has forced many cargo vessels to sail at less than <strong>20% capacity<\/strong>, significantly driving up transport costs for chemicals, coal, and minerals.<\/p>\n<p>BASF CEO Markus Kamieth stated that the company has implemented <strong>improved preparedness measures<\/strong>, including the deployment of specialized low-water vessels like the <em>Stolt Ludwigshafen<\/em>. Despite these internal mitigations, Kamieth warned that <strong>broader European disruptions<\/strong> are likely as the drought persists. The company has accelerated its <strong>cost-cutting program<\/strong>, aiming for <strong>\u20ac2.3 billion in annual savings<\/strong> by the end of 2026 to offset the challenging geopolitical and environmental landscape.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways South Korea\u2019s KOSPI index plummeted 5.98% to close at 5,663.24, marking its lowest level since April and triggering [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":50383,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"rank_math_schema_Article":[],"rank_math_focus_keyword":[],"rank_math_description":[],"financial_data_references":[],"stock_symbols_mentioned":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[5012],"tags":[3703,5137,6569,6958,6975,7309,17840,18180,20948],"class_list":["post-65588","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news","tag-ai","tag-kospi","tag-sk-hynix","tag-samsung-electronics","tag-ssnlf","tag-basf","tag-global-supply-chains","tag-basfy","tag-iran-china-relations"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65588","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65588"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65588\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65588"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65588"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65588"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}