Stock rout shakes confidence, not Korea’s fundamentals

South Korea’s stock-market turmoil has shaken investor confidence but has yet to spill into the broader economy or financial system, highlighting a widening gap between the country’s resilient fundamentals and unusually volatile equity trading. The Korean economy expanded 3.8 percent on-year in the first half, accelerating from 1.8 percent in the second half of last year. Domestic demand has remained resilient, while gains in shipbuilding, biohealth and cosmetics have joined strong semiconductor