South Korea Financial Markets
Currency traders watch monitors near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), right, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
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Asian shares are mostly lower and oil prices have surged higher as investors eye risks to the region's energy supply because of the Iran war. Shares in South Korea sank 4.8% as markets reopened after a holiday on Monday. Benchmark U.S. crude oil rose 77 cents to $72.00 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, added $1.10 to $78.84 a barrel. Resource-poor countries in Asia could be especially hit by the lack of access to the Strait of Hormuz because of the war. Japan relies on oil from that region for much of its oil and natural gas needs. On Wall Street, share prices pared their earlier losses to finish moderately higher.
