South Korea’s Financial Services Commission held a consultative body meeting with comprehensive investment finance companies, SME-focused brokerages and policy lenders to discuss ways to strengthen risk-capital supply, improve related rules and support exit markets. The FSC said seven firms with risk-capital obligations supplied 99 trillion won in the first quarter, up 20 trillion won from the previous quarter. It also outlined plans to expand SME-focused brokerage designations, incentives and evaluation rules, build an intermediation platform and step up oversight of leverage investment risks.

South Korean stocks post record intraday losses on the spillover from Middle East geopolitical risks, with the KOSPI falling more than 12 percent at one point and surpassing the decline seen after the Sept. 11 attacks. The rout triggers sidecar and circuit breaker measures, while the won weakens past 1,500 per dollar. Major brokerages and analysts describe the move as a short-term adjustment that has largely priced in bad news, while arguing the medium- to long-term upward trend remains valid.