The nation’s main bourse ended the trading day below two-thousand-200 for the first time in over two years on Wednesday amid a continued flight to safe assets, including the U.S. dollar. 

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index(KOSPI) shed 54-point-57 points, or two-point-45 percent, closing the day at two-thousand-169-point-29.

It marks the first time the KOSPI closed below the psychologically important mark since reaching two-thousand-198-point-two on July 20, 2020. 

Foreign investors dumped nearly 150 billion won worth of shares while institutional investors sold nearly 180 billion won as sentiment remained glum, given the strengthening U.S. dollar, the protracted Russian war on Ukraine, and China’s economic slowdown.

The tech-heavy KOSDAQ also plunged three-point-47 percent to close at 673-point-87, down 24-point-24 points.  
 
On the foreign exchange, the local currency weakened 18-point-four won against the dollar, ending the day at one-thousand-439-point-nine won.

Earlier in the day, the rate surpassed the one-thousand-440 won threshold for the first time since March 2009.