The TR Korea ETF (02848) experienced a sharp intraday decline of over 5%. As of the latest update, it was down 4.44%, trading at HK$2,045 with a turnover of HK$2.2368 million.
The move follows recent comments from South Korea's Finance Minister, who stated that authorities are prepared to take immediate action to counter excessive volatility in the foreign exchange market. The minister also highlighted concerns regarding risks in the stock and bond markets, expressing particular worry about the rise in leveraged stock trading and the need to prevent herd behavior from amplifying market swings.
Market analysts interpret these remarks as a preemptive move to manage market expectations and guard against asset price bubbles and severe market turbulence.
According to data from South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service, the margin loan balance at the country's top ten securities firms reached nearly KRW 36 trillion by the first quarter of 2026, hitting a two-decade high and nearly doubling from a year earlier.
Within this total, investors aged 50 and above accounted for 62.3% of the loans from these major firms. The loan balance for individuals aged 60 and over surged from approximately KRW 3 trillion to KRW 8.02 trillion over one year, representing an increase of about 2.7 times.
Furthermore, the number of new accounts opened by individuals under 18 years old in South Korea has grown nearly tenfold compared to the same period last year.
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