South Korea's bourse operator activated a buy-side sidecar for the KOSPI on Wednesday after the index surged sharply, suspending program trading for five minutes.
The Korea Exchange (KRX) suspended program trading for KOSPI-listed shares for five minutes at 9:06 a.m.
After opening 3.3 percent higher, the KOSPI rose 450.68 points, or 6.57 percent, to 7,307.51 as of 9:12 a.m.
The stock rise came as U.S. stocks closed higher in overnight trading, buoyed by a strong rebound in semiconductor shares and a softer-than-expected consumer price index.
A buy-side sidecar is triggered when the KOSPI 200 Futures index rises 5 percent or more for at least one minute.
