Korea’s stock market plunged sharply on Wednesday after the country’s central bank raised interest rates and sparked fears that the country is about to collapse into chaos.
The benchmark Kospi index, the benchmark for the countrys central bank, fell 2.7 percent to 10,800.
The Nikkei 225 fell 1.7% to 17,944.
The Hang Seng index, which tracks the broader market, also fell 1 percent.
In the past few days, the country has seen a number of sharp market losses and turmoil amid the deepening economic crisis.
A number of other major stock indexes have also plunged over the past week.
The market has lost more than $8 billion in value since the beginning of the year.
On Wednesday, the central bank’s decision to raise interest rates by 10 basis points to 0.1 percent from a previous 1 percent sparked a wave of panic in the markets.
The central bank has been trying to cool the market with a range of measures, including allowing some foreign investors to withdraw their funds.
The central bank is expected to raise its benchmark rate by a further 1 percentage point this month.
According to the Bloomberg report, the rise in interest rates is seen as a response to the country`s deepening economic problems, and the country may also try to ease financial restrictions, such as closing the country�s border with North Korea, or allowing foreign investors into the country.
The currency markets are expected to be hit hard by the move, as investors and some bond investors may decide to withdraw from the market altogether, the report said.
The government in Seoul, which is controlled by the ruling Saenuri Party, also announced that it will take steps to ease restrictions on foreign investment, which are seen as key to easing the country, and said it will introduce a series of new measures to encourage foreign investment.
The country has a history of stock market bubbles.
In 2005, a major stock market bubble triggered the Korean War, which lasted for about four years.
In 2014, a similar bubble triggered a financial crisis that led to the death of Kim Jong Il.