FILE: Tokyo, Japan - Nov 5, 2025 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of signs of Tokyo Stock Exchange
2. Various of stock traders working

FILE: Seoul, ROK - September 2021 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
3. Various of exterior, sign of Korea Exchange

FILE: Seoul, ROK - Aug 5, 2024 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
4. Various of traders at stock exchange, screens showing information

Both the South Korean and Japanese markets buckled on Tuesday, the last trading day of March, witnessing equities plunge to their worst monthly downturn since October 2008.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 Index ended down 1.58 percent to close at 51,063.72, bringing its cumulative loss in March to 13.2 percent.

The broader Topix index, meanwhile, finished 44.48 points, or 1.26 percent lower at 3,497.86.

In addition, South Korea's benchmark KOSPI plunged 4.26 percent to close at 5052.46, bringing its cumulative loss in March to 19.08 percent, the worst monthly performances since the 2008 global financial crisis.