The South Korean KOSPI index closed down 9.99%, finishing at 8203.84 points. This represents the largest single-day percentage decline for the benchmark since March 4th.

Influenced by investors taking profits following recent substantial gains in chip stocks, the South Korean market experienced a sharp sell-off on Tuesday. The decline was severe enough to trigger market circuit breakers. Trading on the KOSPI index was temporarily halted for 20 minutes after it fell by 8%, activating the exchange's automatic suspension mechanism.

An analyst from Kiwoom Securities commented on the situation, noting that the sell-off appears to be a short-term side effect of recent capital concentration in the semiconductor sector. The analyst attributed the sharp decline primarily to increasing selling pressure from foreign investors looking to lock in profits.