In July 2026, South Korea's Kospi index recorded its worst monthly performance since the 2008 financial crisis, shedding 22% of its value amid a cascade of forced selling, repeated trading halts, and a retail investor class pushed past the limits of its faith. Even a dramatic 18% single-day rebound on the final Friday could not stem the tide — ordinary savers and traders chose that moment not to celebrate, but to exit. The episode raises an older, quieter question that markets periodically force upon societies: when the instruments designed to build household wealth become engines of its destr
Korean retail investors dump stocks as Kospi plunges 22% in worst month since 2008
Retail investors experienced significant financial losses, with widespread frustration and loss of market confidence affecting household wealth.