Seoul, March 23 -- South Korean markets witnessed heavy selling pressure in the opening session on Monday, with the benchmark KOSPI index declining by more than 6 per cent, making it the worst-performing market in Asia.

South Korea's main benchmark KOSPI opened at 5409, registering a sharp fall of over 6 per cent amid escalating tensions in West Asia and growing concerns over a global energy crisis.

Investor sentiment remained cautious across the region, leading to intensified selling as the conflict in West Asia continued to disrupt energy markets and raise uncertainty.

Other key South Korean indices also remained under pressure. The KRX TMI index declined by 5.79 per cent to 3415, while the KRX 300 fell by 5.95 per cent to 3633.50. ...