The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index(KOSPI) fell 49-point-77 points, or two-point-13 percent, on Wednesday, closing the day at two-thousand-292-point-01.
 
It was the first time in around 20 months that the main bourse closed below two-thousand-300, having last done so on October 30, 2020.
 
The tech-heavy KOSDAQ also fell, losing six-point-32 points, or zero-point-84 percent, to close at 744-point-63.
 
On the foreign exchange, the local currency weakened six won against the dollar, ending the day at one-thousand-306-point-three won.