---
title: "Japan, South Korea Stocks Extend Decline; Nikkei 225 Falls Below 55,000"
type: "News"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/277704785.md"
description: "On March 4, Japan and South Korea's stock indices continued to decline, with South Korea's KOSPI down 3.44% and the Nikkei 225 falling below 55,000 points. The KOSPI 200 index futures dropped 5%, leading to a trading halt. Major stocks like SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics saw significant losses. The previous day, geopolitical tensions and inflation concerns caused a sharp drop in both markets, with the KOSPI closing down 7.24% and the Nikkei 225 down over 3%."
datetime: "2026-03-04T01:35:16.000Z"
locales:
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/277704785.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/277704785.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/277704785.md)
---

# Japan, South Korea Stocks Extend Decline; Nikkei 225 Falls Below 55,000

TradingKey - On March 4, the major stock indices of Japan and South Korea opened under pressure. South Korea's KOSPI index opened down 3.44%, with intraday losses widening to as much as 6% at one point before narrowing; South Korea's KOSPI 200 index futures fell 5%, triggering a five-minute program trading halt mechanism.

Notably, the benchmark index's cumulative year-to-date gain still stands at approximately 29%.

Regarding individual stocks, SK Hynix gapped down 5% at the open before rebounding to trade flat; Samsung Electronics also saw its decline narrow, though it still fell more than 2%.

In the Japanese market, the Nikkei 225 index opened down 1.4% and continued to trend lower, breaking below the 55,000-point psychological level during the session. Heavyweight stocks performed poorly, with SoftBank Group and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) both falling nearly 4%.

On March 3, affected by escalating tensions in the Middle East, Japanese and South Korean stocks had already plummeted: the KOSPI index closed down 7.24%, while the Nikkei 225 and TOPIX both fell more than 3%.

Although U.S. stocks recovered some ground overnight following certain statements, geopolitical panic and inflation concerns have not dissipated. Asia-Pacific markets continued to face pressure today, marking the third consecutive trading session of sharp declines for the region's equities.

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