Buy-side sidecar activated on Kosdaq after sharp surge on Thursday

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Published: 19 Feb. 2026, 11:28 Updated: 19 Feb. 2026, 17:42

KIM MIN-YOUNG
[email protected]

A screen in Hana Bank's trading room in central Seoul shows the Kospi trading in the morning hours on Feb. 19. [YONHAP]

A buy-side "sidecar" trading curb was triggered on the Kosdaq market on Thursday after a sharp surge in demand, temporarily suspending the effectiveness of program buy orders.

Buying orders were put on hold by the sidecar for five minutes at around 10:41 a.m., according to the Korea Exchange.

The Kosdaq 150 futures price was trading at 2,027.20 when the sidecar was triggered, up 6.31 percent from the previous session. At the same time, the Kosdaq 150 spot index was up 6.27 percent.

A sidecar comes into effect when the Kosdaq 150 futures price rises by at least 6 percent from the reference price and the Kosdaq 150 index rises by at least 3 percent from the previous trading day’s closing level, with both conditions persisting simultaneously for one minute.

Foreign and institutional investors snapped up shares in the Kosdaq market, pushing the benchmark higher.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]