As Stocks Fall, Easing Volatility in Korea Signals Some Hope

While stocks slumped across markets in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s address, a measure in South Korea gave some traders a degree of comfort.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell as much as 2.6% on Thursday as hopes for a quick resolution to the Iran war evaporated. The Korean market wasn’t spared: The Kospi index lost 4.5%, its biggest decline in more than a week, with volume more than 15% higher than the 30-day average.