Exchange rate experienced a vertical rocket-like surge. [Video=Provided by NASA, USA / Edited GIF by Hanmiilbo]

On the 30th, the KOSPI closing price and the KRW/USD exchange rate are displayed on the electronic board in the dealing room of Hana Bank's headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul. On this day, the KOSPI closed at 5,277.30, down 161.57 points (2.97%) from the previous trading session. The KRW/USD exchange rate recorded 1,515.7 won, up 6.8 won. [Yonhap News]The KRW/USD exchange rate surpassed 1,520 won on the 30th due to ongoing Middle Eastern instability.

This is the first time the exchange rate has jumped above 1,520 won since the financial crisis.

On the Seoul foreign exchange market on this day, the Korean won exchange rate against the US dollar rose to 1,521.1 won around 4:43 PM.

After closing the weekly trading at 1,515.7 won, up 6.8 won from the previous day, at 3:30 PM, the rate of increase expanded during the overnight trading that followed.

This marks the highest level in approximately 17 years, since March 10, 2009 (intra-day high of 1,561.0 won) during the global financial crisis.

The exchange rate opened at 1,513.4 won, up 4.5 won, and then showed a trend of gradually widening its gains.

The airport exchange rate, based on KB Kookmin Bank, soared to 1,583.9 won.

The worsening Middle East situation over the weekend appears to have put upward pressure on the exchange rate.

Tensions have further escalated with the participation of Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militia, as the US is reportedly preparing for a ground invasion.

Consequently, international oil prices surged across the board from the beginning of the week, with West Texas Intermediate (WTI) exceeding $100 per barrel and Brent crude surpassing $115 per barrel.

The dollar continued its strength.

The dollar index, which measures the dollar's value against a basket of six major currencies, rose for five consecutive days, far exceeding the 100 mark during intraday trading. It is currently around 100.257, up 0.072.

The outflow of foreign investors also contributed to the depreciation of the Korean won.

On the Korea Exchange on this day, foreigners net sold 2.1335 trillion won worth of stocks. Institutions net purchased 883.1 billion won and individuals net purchased 897.3 billion won, respectively.

As of 3:30 PM, the KRW/JPY cross exchange rate was 948.78 won per 100 yen, up 3.53 won from the previous closing at the same time (945.25 won).

The JPY/USD exchange rate fell by 0.575 yen to 159.703 yen. It had surged to 160.458 yen in early trading, reaching its highest level in about 1 year and 8 months since July 11, 2024 (intra-day high of 161.757 yen).

The JPY/USD exchange rate turned downward as Atsushi Mimura, Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs of Japan, intervened verbally, stating, "If the current situation continues, we will take decisive action before long." However, it remains at a high level.