Korean Stock Exchange Trading Volume Plummets After Iran Conflict... Investors Continue to Watch and Wait

TechubNews · 2026-03-18T00:04:56+00:00

Following the Middle East conflict, South Korea's oil-related securities market trading volume declined significantly, with daily average trading value dropping from 480 trillion won to 210 trillion won. Investor sentiment has stabilized, with KOSPI index trading volume declining 55%. The market is focused on Federal Reserve interest rate movements and other economic indicators, with future stock market trends influenced by multiple factors.

TechubNews

2026-03-18 00:04:56

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After the outbreak of war between Iran and the Middle East, the trading volume of Korean oil securities markets surged sharply and then significantly declined. During the initial phase of the war, investor anxiety caused a spike in trading, but now it has decreased by more than half.

According to the Korea Exchange, in the first week after the outbreak of war, the average daily trading volume of oil securities markets reached about 48 trillion won. However, it has recently dropped to around 21 trillion won. Analysts believe this reflects the gradual stabilization of the intense investor sentiment seen at the start of the war, leading to reduced trading activity.

Especially, the KOSPI index is gradually digesting the impact of the war, and overall trading volume is also shrinking. This week, KOSPI trading volume has decreased by approximately 55% compared to the initial period, which is interpreted as investors adopting a cautious stance while waiting for key upcoming events.

Major economic events include whether the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) will keep interest rates unchanged and the release of the US Producer Price Index (PPI) for February. Additionally, large events like Nvidia’s annual developer conference “GTC 2026” may also influence stock prices.

Experts are closely monitoring how the trend of declining stock market trading will evolve after the release of upcoming economic data and key indicators. Factors that could influence this include how the Federal Reserve interprets the impact of rising oil prices and changes in inflation expectations and interest rate policies. The stock market’s response in the coming weeks is expected to depend on the combined effects of these variables.

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