Kospi plunges 7.57%, breaks below 5,600 as panic selling grips Seoul

South Korea's Kospi index crashed 7.57% on Thursday, breaching the 5,600-point level, indicating severe market stress. The scale of the single-day drop suggests a systemic shock or panic-driven selloff, though the underlying trigger is not specified in the item. This marks a critical risk-off event for Asian equities and may signal broader regional contagion.