(3rd LD) S. Korea to tighten rules on stock short selling amid market rout

(ATTN: ADDS additional information in para 6, UPDATES stock data in paras 7-8)

SEOUL, March 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's financial authorities said Tuesday they will tighten regulations on stock short selling as part of market stabilization measures amid increased fluctuations sparked by the outbreak of the new coronavirus and a slide in global oil prices.

Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said the government will temporarily ease its requirements for the designation of certain shares subject to a possible ban on short selling.

The decision came in a meeting of economy-related ministers and officials held in Seoul.

A finance ministry official later said the enhanced regulations will take effect from Wednesday, with its details to be explained by the Financial Services Commission after the local stock market closes Tuesday.

"(The government) will swiftly and boldly take additional market stabilization measures if necessary," Vice Finance Minister Kim Yong-beom told reporters.

The country's bourse operator Korea Exchange (KRX) followed suit in the regulatory move with tightened monitoring of foreign and institutional trading, short-selling and futures-linked positions.

As of Tuesday 11:22 a.m., the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) had fallen 0.11 percent to 1,952.59 points.

The local currency stood at 1,199.20 won against the U.S. dollar, up 5 won from the previous session's close.

The move follows heavy losses in the local stock market, believed to have been caused partly by massive short-selling by foreigners and institutions that apparently expect additional drops in local stock prices.

The KOSPI plunged more than 4 percent Monday to close at a six-month low of 1,954.77.

Foreign investors sold a net 1.3 trillion won (US$1.1 billion) on Monday alone, the highest amount since the Seoul bourse operator began tracking such data in 1999.

U.S. stock market also crashed, with the Dow Jones industrial average plummeting 7.79 percent Monday (local time) in the face of the spread of the coronavirus and a sharp decline in oil prices.

Kim partly blamed the new coronavirus for fluctuations in global markets.

"The fast spread of COVID-19 and its unpredictability are factors that boost uncertainties in global markets," the vice minister said.

"The volatility in the global financial market is expected to continue for some time depending on how the current situation unfolds in the future," he added.

South Korea has reported over 7,500 cases of the novel coronavirus since confirming its first case Jan. 20.

The virus currently carries a relatively low fatality rate of about 0.7 percent in South Korea, but its high infection rate is forcing the people to stay home, causing serious problems for the local economy such as reduced spending that in turn will inevitably lead to loss of jobs.

Many global agencies have revised down their growth outlooks for Asia's fourth-largest economy, with the Bank of Korea also slashing its own growth estimate to 2.1 percent from the previous 2.3 percent.

Global credit ratings agency S&P Global Ratings has cut its 2020 growth projection for South Korea to 1.1 percent in two downward revisions in less than a month.

Seoul has proposed boosting its fiscal spending by an additional 11.7 trillion won to help offset the fallout from the virus outbreak.

The request for the extra budget is now pending at the parliament.
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