EN Home › Market Briefing · published Oct 21, 2026 morning (KST) · prices as of 2026-10-20 close한국어

USD/KRW 1,333 lower: Oct 21 Korea market briefing

Yesterday brought a weaker dollar and lower US and Korean yields, but the KOSPI 200 plunged 3.65%, leading Asian equities lower. Today, indicators to check together are foreign investor flows after the KOSPI 200's sharp drop and the direction of USD/KRW.

Yesterday's closes

Indicator	Close	Change	%
USD/KRW10-19	1,333.1	-3.4	-0.25%
Dollar Index10-20	101.64	-0.28	-0.28%
USD/JPY10-20	157.96	-0.46	-0.29%
US 10Y Yield10-20	5.120%	-3.0bp	-
Korea 3Y Yield10-20	3.840%	-3.7bp	-
KOSPI 20010-20	858.78	-32.52	-3.65%
Nasdaq 10010-20	29,490.28	-39.07	-0.13%
Nikkei 22510-20	64,075.42	-841.28	-1.30%
Hang Seng10-20	23,867.74	-319.09	-1.32%
DAX10-20	25,304.42	-15.35	-0.06%
WTI Crude10-19	98.54	-0.48	-0.48%
Gold10-19	4,160.10	-21.00	-0.50%
Bitcoin10-21	82,939	+1,038	+1.27%

The date next to each indicator is the trading day of that close. Bitcoin is the spot price at publication (7am KST). Yield changes are in bp (0.01 pp).

FX & Rates

USD/KRW stood at 1,333.1 won per dollar, down 3.4 won (0.25%) from the previous day. The Dollar Index fell 0.28% to 101.64, and USD/JPY also slipped 0.29% to 157.96 yen per dollar, extending the dollar's weakness. The US 10-year Treasury yield fell 3.0bp to 5.120% but remains at an elevated level above 5%. The Korea 3-year yield declined 3.7bp to 3.840%.

Equities

The KOSPI 200 plunged 32.52 points (3.65%) to 858.78, the steepest decline among major indices. The Hang Seng fell 1.32% to 23,867.74 and the Nikkei 225 dropped 1.30% to 64,075.42, leaving Asian markets broadly weak. The Nasdaq 100 slipped only 0.13% to 29,490.28, and Germany's DAX eased just 0.06% to 25,304.42. It was a day in which Asian losses stood out against those in the US and Europe.

Commodities & Crypto

WTI crude fell 0.48% to 98.54 dollars per barrel but remains at a high price level. Gold declined 21.00 dollars (0.50%) to 4,160.10 dollars per ounce. Bitcoin (BTC/USDT) was at 82,939 dollars as of 7:00 a.m. KST, up 1.27%, one of the few assets in the market table to rise.

News and Markets

Escalating clashes between Yemen's Houthis and Saudi Arabia, along with Houthi claims of attacks on Saudi oil facilities, have heightened Gulf risk, a variable directly linked to WTI crude prices, which remain elevated. France's cost-of-living protests turning into riots and spreading across Europe are cited as a burden on France's already strained public finances. News that China's January-September growth beat market expectations eases concerns about slowing global demand, though the Hang Seng closed lower yesterday. Kim Yo Jong's threat to resume loudspeaker broadcasts toward the South is seen as a Korean Peninsula geopolitical variable, but a direct causal link to the KOSPI 200's plunge cannot be confirmed from the available information alone.

What to Watch Today

The first indicators to check are whether the KOSPI 200 attempts a rebound after sliding to 858.78 and whether USD/KRW holds in the 1,333 won range. Whether the US 10-year Treasury yield falls further from 5.120% is another variable to watch alongside the performance of growth stocks. Whether the Houthi-Saudi conflict spreads to oil facilities is a notable variable tied to WTI crude prices. In France, the yellow vest movement has announced further protests for the weekend, so European political risk also needs continued monitoring. Ahead of the US midterm elections, the impact of Trump's falling approval ratings on policy expectations is another point to watch.

Yesterday's key world news

France's cost-of-living protests escalate into riots, spread across Europe· Politics
Weekend cost-of-living protests in France turned into nationwide riots and looting, with about 2,400 arrests and more than 3,000 shops damaged. Combined with fiscal strain and the rise of the far right, this weighs on French government bond yields.
Houthi-Saudi clashes intensify as US-Iran-Israel tensions rise· Geopolitics
Clashes between Yemen's Houthis and Saudi Arabia intensified and the US-Iran standoff deepened, with a Houthi ballistic missile attack killing 53 Yemeni government troops. A Saudi investment conference was postponed, raising oil price and Gulf risks.
Trump pressures Zelensky, weighs US-China-Russia summit· Geopolitics
Trump is pressuring Zelensky while considering a US-China-Russia summit, and Ukraine says the US has restricted intelligence and Starlink support. Concerns over negotiations excluding Ukraine are shaking Europe's security framework.
China's January-September GDP grows 4.6%· Economy & Markets
China's GDP grew 4.6% year on year in the first three quarters, with third-quarter growth of 4.5% beating market expectations. Rising hopes of meeting the annual target ease concerns about slowing global demand.
Two weeks before US midterms, Trump's approval hits record low· Politics
With two weeks to go before the US midterm elections, Trump's approval rating has fallen to a low of 33%, and Democrats lead by 8 percentage points. A change in Senate control would sharply weaken the momentum of Trump's policies.

Full country-by-country summaries for Oct 20, 2026 (Korean) →

USD/KRW exchange rateUS 10-year Treasury yieldKOSPI 200Korea 3-year yieldNasdaq 100WTI crude oil priceBitcoin pricegold price

This briefing is an automated summary of public market data and news-broadcast summaries from several countries, for information only — not investment advice. Figures follow the table's source data; markets may have moved since publication.