The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index(KOSPI) fell 16-point-49 points, or zero-point-69 percent, on Monday, to close the day at two-thousand-379-point-20.

The tech-heavy KOSDAQ rose, however, gaining four-point-81 points, or zero-point-60 percent, to close at 802-point-20.

On the foreign exchange, the local currency started off stronger on the back of eased panic in the financial sector amid bank crises but gave up its gains to weaken seven-point-nine won against the U.S. dollar, closing the day at one-thousand-310-point-one won.

Meanwhile, stocks in the Asia Pacific generally fell on Monday even in the wake of a bailout of Credit Suisse by UBS as regulators sought to shore up the global banking system.