코스피 R의 공포에 2,140대 '털썩'…코스닥도 2%대 급락<br /><br />South Korean stocks closed lower on Monday... on concerns over slower global economic growth.<br />In fact, it was the worst day for Korean stocks since last October.<br />Our Ko Roon-hee has the numbers. <br />In Monday's session, Korea's benchmark KOSPI closed at around 21-45,... down more than 1-point-9 percent.<br />It was the biggest decline in 5 months. <br />In the morning, it stayed above 21-50... but fell later on.<br />Analysts pointed to uncertainties abroad... including the United States.<br />Last week, the Federal Open Market Committee -- the policy arm of the Fed, kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged. <br />Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said... the American economy will grow at a solid pace in 2019, although likely slower than in 2018...raising concerns about global growth.<br />Another reason came from Germany. <br />"Last week, data showed that German manufacturing has recently contracted. Also, Germany's 10-year bond yield slipped below zero for the first time since 2016. This signals that people are looking for safety as concerns rise about slowing economic growth."<br />The analyst added that these uncertainties hit stocks in the U.S. and Europe ...which in turn spooked investors in Korea.<br />Korea's tech-heavy, junior index, the KOSDAQ, closed at around 7-hundred-27... also down 2-and-a-quarter percent.<br />This analyst does not predict a big fall in the coming days... but says stocks will hit bottom sometime in the 2nd quarter... and rebound afterwards. <br />Meanwhile, the Korean currency closed at around 1-thousand-1-hundred-and-34 won against the U.S. dollar, up more than 4 won from the previous close. <br />Ko Roon-hee, Arirang News.
