How this week's rout in Korean stocks might have triggered crypto's surge higher

Korea's tech-heavy Kospi has plunged 20% in the last two trading sessions, potentially pushing that country's fast-money chasing traders back into crypto. What to know : Bitcoin's surge above $73,000 Wednesday follows a 20% tumble in the South Korean stock market in the last two days. The plunge follows a massive retail-driven rally that had pushed the Kospi higher by nearly 180% since April 2025. The so-called Kimchi premium remains near 1%, suggesting crypto trading activity has increased, but demand has not reached speculative extremes.