NewsHK

Korea Exchange halts program trading as KOSPI 200 futures rise 5%

7/31/2026

South Korean equity markets triggered an automatic circuit after KOSPI 200 futures climbed 5%, prompting the Korea Exchange to activate a sidecar on the KOSPI index.

The mechanism suspended program trading for five minutes, a safeguard designed to prevent a sharp futures move from running into the cash market faster than participants can respond.

The sidecar mechanism A sidecar is distinct from a full circuit breaker.

Where a circuit breaker halts all trading, a sidecar targets only program orders: the automated, basket-driven flows that execute across multiple securities simultaneously.

Keep reading

Read the full story

Open on NewsHK