Nikkei 225 Falls Over 1,700 Points, South Korean Stock Market Plunges 6%, U.S. Stock Index Futures Decline Across the Board

K-LinePoet · 2026-03-15T14:16:03+00:00

Affected by Middle East tensions, Japanese and South Korean stock markets plummeted on March 3. The Nikkei 225 Index fell more than 3%, while the Korean Composite Index dropped more than 6%. Star stocks declined broadly, with only defense stocks rising against the trend. International crude oil rebounded strongly, while gold and silver prices plummeted. U.S. stock futures fell across the board. The Middle East situation has further deteriorated, with conflict breaking out between Iran and Israel.

K-LinePoet

2026-03-15 14:16:03

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Due to the ongoing escalation of tensions in the Middle East, on March 3rd, all major stock markets in Japan and South Korea plummeted. The Nikkei 225 index closed down over 3%, dropping more than 1,700 points; the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell over 6%, triggering a circuit breaker during trading.

Previously, the Korean stock market had been soaring, and by last Friday (before Iran was attacked), it had gained over 48% year-to-date, making it the top performer globally.

Among the major stocks, Japanese companies saw significant declines: Sumitomo Pharmaceutical dropped over 19%, Mitsubishi Materials and Tokyo Electron fell over 7%, Toyota and Suzuki declined over 6%, SoftBank Group decreased over 1.5%. South Korean semiconductor stocks, Kia Motors, and Hyundai Motor each fell over 10%, Korean Air dropped over 9%, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix declined over 7%.

Conversely, South Korean defense stocks surged against the trend, with Hanwha Aerospace rising over 15%, LIG Nex1 nearly 30%, reaching the daily limit.

In commodities, international crude oil futures surged strongly, with WTI crude oil rising over 2% intraday, briefly surpassing $73 per barrel; Brent crude increased over 2.6%, reaching $80.39 per barrel.

Gold and silver prices experienced a sharp plunge: spot gold slightly decreased by 0.4%, falling near $5,300 per ounce; spot silver dropped over 4%, at $85.4 per ounce, with a high of over $91 per ounce during the day.

Major U.S. stock index futures declined collectively: Nasdaq futures fell 1% intraday, Dow Jones futures dropped 0.73%, and S&P 500 futures declined 0.83%.

Regarding the Middle East situation, according to CCTV News, the Israeli military stated on March 3rd that the Israeli Defense Forces are “simultaneously airstriking Tehran and Beirut.”

Additionally, Xinhua News Agency reported that the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted the U.S. military’s Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain, “directly hitting” the base. The U.S. Central Command announced the same day that U.S. forces “destroyed” Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ command and control facilities.

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